The Founders
by kvanhee
Summary: The story of the legendary founders of Hogwarts, the wars and struggles that brought them together and eventually tore them apart... Rated M for future violence and smut...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **_just a brief explanation on this story, it is inspired by the fact that I've been drawing the founders of Hogwarts recently, they have had recurring portraits on my d-art profile. They fascinate me quite a bit because J.K. Rowling never really went into detail about their stories and the dynamics they had towards each other. I find them interesting because honestly, we all know that this whole pureblood thing started way back with Godric and Salazar right? The answer would be yes, but do we know how they became friends? Or how they met Rowena and Helga and decided to start a school for witches and wizards? Not really._

_To me, these characters were obviously very important in how the entire war started but J.K. Rowling, though I'm sure she has an entire story mapped out for them, never bothered to mention it in detail. Something I completely comprehend since, let's face it, the story of young Harry Potter was central, and though the founders were I'm sure very interesting people, she simply didn't have the time to work them in any more than she already did._

_Nevertheless, after reading the books and making my drawings I find myself (Once again...) stuck with an idea that I can't get out of my mind. And so here you have it,... A great deal of this plotline is entirely made-up and I'm sure if J.K. Rowling herself were ever to read it she'd be appalled but I have tried to remain as close as possible to whatever information is provided regarding the great founders of Hogwarts. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. _

_I hope you enjoy, I do plan on continuing this story so please feel free to leave comments and reviews I am curious to see the reactions of fellow HP fans. _

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><p>"Salazar! Wake up!" Salazar felt himself being shaken in the middle of his sleep, his mother's voice ringing in a panicked way through his head while he heard his stepfather's footsteps coming up the stairs. He had heard this argument before, stood watching as his mother took a beating and was dragged to his father's room, it was nothing new to him. And though he hated his father he had grown up knowing that it was quite normal for a man to hit his wife if she disobeyed him. No matter how powerful his mother truly was she was forced to be submissive to his stepfather, his weak pathetic father who wasn't worthy of t. They were a noble family or at least they had been until his father had died and his mother had so foolishly fallen in love with a muggle. He couldn't comprehend this, he understood their need for secrecy and caution, as it stood, witches and wizards were in a minority and currently being prosecuted by the muggles in masses. But his mother loving one of them was far beyond the understanding of his eleven year old mind. He couldn't comprehend the risk she took at marrying this man, this crude and mostly drunken human who was bound to notice sooner or later that the pots in the kitchen cleaned themselves or she had a solution to every ailment the man had ever had. His mother was a formidable witch and that was why her choice was less than admirable in the eyes of her son.<p>

As it was he allowed her to shake him awake and only gradually opened his eyes to the sound of his mother's voice and the heavy boots that were stomping up the stairs to their small house. The servants would be asleep for a long while still and so the house was mostly silent as Salazar opened his eyes he noticed his mother looking more panicked than usual.

"Salazar hide!" She hissed and dragged him out of his bed, while pulling out her wand, he felt himself shake suddenly the stricken look on his mother's face was enough to send chills up his back as she stuffed him into a wardrobe and turned around to face the man that was coming up the stairs. He couldn't hear properly so he opened the wardrobe door a creak, enough to see his mother's back to him and hear her crying.

"Bloody witch! What were you planning? Corrupt the boy too, sell him to the devil?" The man yelled loudly through the room and Salazar thought for a moment he could feel the floor shaking. Suddenly there were other footsteps bounding up the stairs and Salazar pushed himself back against the wardrobe wall, horrified at the sound of men entering his little bedroom and grabbing hold of his mother while she simply stood there. How could she do nothing? How could she just stand there and let them do what they wanted. She let them take her wand out of her hands while they screamed and beat her, Salazar wasn't sure what happened to him but before he knew it he was bounding out the wardrobe and had jumped on his stepfather. The cruelty of someone beating a woman, even one who wasn't defenseless was criminal in his eyes, especially his mother. And he foolishly thought that stopping the man responsible would protect his mother.

Nothing he did could have saved him or his mother from this moment, nothing could have prepared him for this, they weren't going to burn her, she was of noble blood so they couldn't simply strangle her at the crossroads. His stepfather stood crudely behind him, both large hands on his shoulders, the calloused hands from riding in military formations and hunting all his life bearing down on his small frame. This stupid muggle was a brute, an idiot in the worst way and now Salazar was burning with anger against him, against all of this, the people who had come to watch and stare as his mother was being brought up to the block and the man behind him leaned over to whisper menacingly into his ear.

"Watch carefully boy, this is what happens to witches. Their spawn too if they're not careful." His breath stunk, and Salazar wouldn't look away, he couldn't even if he wanted to, his mother's grey eyes were on him as she smiled. He couldn't understand why she was smiling, if it had been him he would have been crying out for her, but she smiled at him and knelt down without saying anything to the priest. That on it's own was an acknowledgement of her guilt, her smiling the way she was was another. She looked first at Salazar and then to the man standing behind him, smiled once again to her little boy and then placed her head down on the block and spread her arms.

When the blow came it came slowly and Salazar felt himself tear as he tried desperately to get away from this man, he needed to do something, he didn't understand how up until now he had been so blatantly ignorant of what was happening but now he was watching the blade come down on his mother and she was doing nothing to stop it, he had to move, or try something but nothing would come. And the hands at his shoulders were large and strong enough to even lift him up in the air while the man with the foul breath laughed and forced him to watch as it came down agonizingly slow upon his mother's neck.

He did nothing, nothing happened while his mother was killed, no disappearance or shocking fires, nothing, no magic. Salazar was enveloped in fury and terror at the sight of his mother's body and he could do nothing but shake and scream and be carried away by the man who had done all this to him.

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><p>"Godric! Wake up! Wake up!" Godric was more than used to waking up to the excitement of Helga Hufflepuff, he'd known her most of his life, and if he could call anyone sister it would probably be her. It was because he was so used to her sweet little voice and the excitement and happiness that usually followed her that he didn't consider it very important to get up, or even open his eyes. Instead he most determinedly shut them tighter and rolled over so his back was towards her. He knew it was foolish and if he though that would stop Helga Hufflepuff from trying again he was seriously mistaken. For a small foolish moment he thought she would leave him alone, it had gone very quiet in his little room anyway but then he was very crudely disrupted from his sleepy thoughts when he felt something pounce him. "Godric! I mean it get up, it's important!" her weight however light it might be knocked the wind out of him and he was instantly awake but instead of being angry he simply reached out from under the covers and grabbed her by the waist before tickling her into submission. Helga was a delightful friend to have, she could run, ride, wrestle and play as well as any boy and she could be tickled beyond belief. To an eleven year old boy who had very little friends, she was the perfect companion.<p>

Her shrieking laughter and pleas for him to stop provoked laughter in him and finally he stopped, leaning back in the bed and watching as she sat up and tried to straighten herself out a bit. He ran his hand through his own flaming red hair and eyed his best friend carefully.

"Well what is it?" As much as he liked her, he was never very kind to anyone in the morning.

"I'm to be married." She was excited but Godric felt his stomach tie up in knots and couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened, she was only eleven after all. She couldn't possibly be married.

"What?"

"My father told me. I am betrothed to be married."

"To whom? And why?" Godric was slightly outraged, he felt his nose turn up at the thought of his little friend being married. It didn't seem quite right to him, she still climbed trees and rode on a little pony. How could she possibly be married like some grand lady when she still liked jumping in the mud?

"Because I'm a _girl_!"

"I know you're a girl. But you can't get married!" Godric wasn't entirely sure why he was so appalled at the idea of her being married.

"Why not?"

"Because you're too young!" he shook his head and then looked at her, forcing tears back, boys didn't cry. He couldn't cry. "They'll send you away."

"I know, my mother says they're sending me to a nunnery until I'm old enough, so I can learn everything I need to know about being a good wife." Again she sounded excited and Godric felt shocked at that.

"You're my oldest friend Helga."

"Godric, I'm your only friend." She rolled her eyes and then moved to sit next to him, she was so much smaller than him that she leaned her head on his shoulder easily and Godric sniffled, forcing away the thought of her leaving. "I won't be gone forever you know. And we'll always be friends. We can write to each other by owl."

"You don't know how to write Helga." It was true she hadn't been educated the way he was and it only grieved him more to know that she was being taken away from him. He couldn't imagine her and her family not living here with him and his mother. Their parents had been close friends for as long as he could remember.

"I'm going to live with nuns Godric, I imagine they'll teach me." Godric wiped his nose with the sleeve of his nightshirt and leaned his head onto Helga's. She sighed and took hold of his hand. "Don't worry Godric, you're my best friend."

"I'm your only friend, Helga." They always replied this way to each other, they were only eleven but both very much aware of the fact that they were different. Godric had shown 'potential' as his father said from a very young age, when he'd simply disappeared from the bathtub and reappeared in the stables. He didn't remember these things but his parents took pride in them and repeated them often, they were witches and wizards, in a world were being different meant being prosecuted. The importance of their secrecy and anonymity had been drilled into him since he was old enough to understand, Helga and her family had come to live with them after several of their friends had been taken away back in Wales, they thought it safer to come stay with friends. Helga and Godric had been inseparable ever since, and he couldn't imagine being without her. His best friend, his little sister.

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><p>Helga had no idea how she was supposed to catch up with the other girls, they were all so far ahead of her, even those that were younger than her could read latin and speak French. She had only just got here, and as her mother and the abyss showed her around the nunnery and the school, she felt a terrifying urge to run away. To leave and go running through the fields the way she did with Godric. She missed him already, her brother for all sense and purpose, she had been so excited to come here, to prepare herself, and learn new things, but now she realized that she was so terribly far behind all the other girls and she had no idea how she would possibly catch up to them. She couldn't read English let alone Latin or French. And she most certainly didn't know the names of all the plants and herbs in their gardens. She had always assumed that nuns were pious old women who prayed all day but in fact they were intelligent and wise, and the prospect of them frightened Helga slightly. They were so grand and intimidating and she was entirely unsure of her place here, even among the other girls. Especially among the other girls.<p>

"This will be your room." The abyss was saying as she opened the wooden door to a small room, as she stepped in a girl stood up and looked at the three people who had just entered her room. Helga eyed the room carefully and was excited to see that it was larger than her room back home, there were two large beds, and desks and each girl had a wardrobe it seemed. The abyss stepped into the room as the other girl inside never took her eyes off the older woman. If Helga didn't know any better she would have thought she was challenging the woman to come closer but she couldn't imagine an eleven year old girl being so formidable that she demanded respect from a grown up. The abyss seemed angry at this confrontation as she turned to look at Helga, she was a severe looking woman with grey eyes and the habit drawn low over her forehead.

"I'm sure you received our notice of the gowns and shoes she's to have with her, I trust she's a good rider as well." She spoke across Helga to her mother as if she wasn't really there and Helga's nose crinkled before it disappeared into one of her usual smiles. She was a very good rider, she liked being outside, around animals and creatures. Like elves or pixies, when she'd lived in Wales she'd been surrounded by all sorts of magical creatures, even sought them out against her parent's wishes. "This is Rowena Roderick. She will be your roommate for the duration of your stay with us." The abyss _finally _turned to look at Helga and did so with judging eyes, Helga wasn't sure why but she was certain that the abyss didn't like her. She cast her eyes downward suddenly to the floor, she did this when she felt she was being reprimanded and kept her eyes cast down while the abyss spoke to her mother. She wasn't so shocked at how easy it was to say goodbye to her mother, she'd hardly been involved in her care since she was born. She'd been raised by nurses and maids for as long as she could remember so being apart from her parents wasn't what was painful. It was being left behind in this place, with this woman who didn't like her and these girls who would probably think she was stupid, or too childlike. She wished she could be back at the castle with Godric playing a game or something.

When her mother and the abyss finally left the room Helga stood at the centre of the room, watching the other girl go back to her desk and finally threw herself onto the bed she assumed was hers and cried for a while. She didn't stop crying until she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around, pulling herself from her pillow and turning to look at the girl Rowena Roderick who smiled at her. It was a very interesting smile, she was very pretty, she had full pink lips, her hair and eyes were both a very very dark black, and her skin wasn't like Helga's. It was darker, olive, as if she came from Spain or Italy.

"What's your name?" The girl asked and smiled again, a dark smile that seemed full of mischief, something she was used to seeing in Godric.

"H-Helga H-Hufflepuff." Helga sniffled feeling slightly embarrassed, people always thought she had a very common name, and that was true she supposed, most noble children were named something more grand than Helga.

"Well Helga, I'm Rowena. And I've been here since I was five, so I can honestly tell you there is nothing to be afraid of here. The food is good and fresh, and the nuns are all very sweet, most of them are quite young. Except the abyss and she's always grumpy, I believe it's because she hasn't aged very well. What do you think?"

"I don't think she likes me." Helga answered the girl and sat up in the bed, wiping her tears away and watching the dark haired girl as she smiled at that.

"She doesn't like us because we're pretty." Rowena said and now Helga smiled in response, she was being called pretty by a very pretty girl. "Don't worry about your school work either. I'll help and you'll be caught up in no time. I promise." Helga suddenly felt as if all her cares had drifted away from her, she still missed Godric but not nearly as terrible as she had only moments ago, and with Rowena promising to be her friend she suddenly felt much safer.

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><p><em>To see the artwork that inspired this, remove the spaces and go to... http: kvanhee ./ #/d3i655b_

_please review, and I hope you enjoy, I know this chapter is short, but it was just to get an idea of what you all thought of it, next chapter the kiddies shall be all growed up, since I don't want to spend too much time on their life as children I'm more interested on how they decided to found Hogwarts._

_It **IS** rated M... for future smut, between who? You shall just have to guess... ;)_

_**TO BE CONTINUED... **_


	2. Lumos

Christmas: Nine years later...

"You're laughing at me, but I am actually quite serious, you see magic is all around us."

"You should have a care for your words Lord Gryffindor, they might cause you trouble some day." The girl spoke in reply to him with a coy smile across her face and he knew already that she was his if he wanted her.

"Now see you still assume I'm joking. But do you know the colour of your eyes, that powdery blue, I can guarantee you that there is not another soul on this earth that has eyes like yours and wouldn't you call that magic? I surely do for it must be a miracle to have eyes like that." The woman giggled, she might be a few years younger than him, he guessed perhaps seventeen but at he age of twenty a few years hardly made a difference to him. He was happy to be at court after being raised with those other boys, sons of noble men each and every one of them, but none of them wizards and thus incredibly tedious and not at all fun. This however, was a great deal of fun, he mused as she turned her eyes away and then back to him in a sly way as if to convey that she was shy or maidenly. But then something else caught his eye, there were two women who just entered the court hall and they were instantly drawing attention to themselves, by doing absolutely nothing the two women had every man in the room staring at them. The one woman was smaller and had a sweet round face with plump little lips that were parted in a smile as she giggled at something the other woman said, her auburn hair was pulled back to support the little crown she had on her head for the festivities, she had kind brown eyes that weren't scanning the room but she kept them cast downwards sweetly as her friend said something else that sent them both flying into another fit of giggles.

"If you would excuse me miss." He stood up from the table he'd been sitting at and moved towards the two women who didn't notice him until he was standing before them, he was a great deal taller than both of them, in particular the girl with auburn hair, when she finally looked up at him she stopped smiling and her brown eyes widened a great deal as she looked up at him. He knew he could look quite imposing, he had flaming red hair that was rather unruly and he was beginning to grow out his beard as well. He was tall and muscular and intimidating to most people even though he was never one to initiate any kind of conflict. There was something about her eyes that was utterly fascinating and she regarded him with a great deal of interest and curiosity, even amusement. He wasn't entirely sure what it was about her that was so familiar.

"Godric?" It was her voice, that sweet warm, excitement that resonated through her.

"Bloody hell, Helga?" She smiled and was caught up in an embrace before she had the chance to refuse, they had written to each other for years, throughout everything that had happened and he knew that despite the fact that her engagement had been broken off, she had remained at the nunnery to further her education under Gunhilda of Gorsemoor and stay with her friend. When he put her down he realized that the woman standing next to her had to be Rowena Roderick, or more recently Lady Rowena Ravenclaw, since she was now married.

"Merlin's beard you've changed!" She smiled and placed a hand against his beard, giggling like she always had. Godric couldn't comprehend how she could have changed so much since the last time he saw her. She had already been growing and filling out then, they had been fourteen, but he realized now that it had been six years since they'd last seen each other. He smiled, his sudden excitement was drawing attention from people all around them.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere else. You too Lady Ravenclaw, I've heard so much about you."

"Yes let's go somewhere quieter." She wasn't as perpetually shy as she used to be, he had realized that before too but now she was different, charm and intelligence slightly masked by her usual sweetness. Godric could hardly believe the change in her but then he shouldn't have been so surprised. He himself had grown almost two feet since the last time she'd seen him. If it weren't for his flaming red hair he wasn't sure she would have recognized him. They moved through the halls until Godric pulled Helga by the hand behind a tapestry, Rowena followed shortly behind them, when he was certain no one else was present in the halls, within earshot he pulled out his wand and directed it at a certain point of the wall.

"Alohomora" There was a definite click in the wall and the wall began to shift backwards, creating a space big enough for someone to fit through. Godric stood back and smiled to the two women standing before him. Helga looked into the darkened hall carefully while Rowena, much to Godric's surprise simply smiled and pulled out her own wand.

"Lumos" Her whisper echoed in the hall and she moved past him and Helga into the hall without really considering that it might be a trap.

"She's somethign else." Godric leaned over and whispered to Helga who giggled and took out her own wand.

"You haven't seen anything yet." She grinned and stepped into the hall herself. They waited until he had performed his Colloportus charm to prevent the door from being opened by any kind of muggle means and then the two women walked before Godric down the hall. When they stopped Godric felt a surge of humour float through him, knowing what had made the two women stop. They stood at the edge of a perfectly vertical shaft that was too deep for them to see the end. Godric was all too familiar with the different secret halls in this castle but the two girls weren't and they stood there teetering on the edge as they peered as far as they dared, trying to get a glimpse of how deep it might be.

"What's wrong ladies? I promise you it's perfectly safe." Godric spoke, slightly amused but he was surprised at the looks he got from them both, Helga smiled broadly and turned to Rowena before looking at him with her hazel eyes and tilting her head slightly. She turned around until she was on the tip of her toes at the very edge of the drop.

"Very well then." She smiled and tilted her head backwards, closing her eyes and Godric couldn't help the urge to reach out for her, he was astounded at her bravery, shocked at how much she had changed in only six years and at the coy look Lady Ravenclaw was giving her told him that she was the influence that had caused it. Not that he minded it, so far he liked this new Helga. She turned her dark eyes on him and smiled coyly before turning and letting herself drop down the shoot herself.

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><p>Helga was falling rapidly, and it seemed to take forever before she saw what she assumed was the bottom. She turned her head every which way, wondering how long it would take until she finally reached it and was surprised that it still took her a while. She was about to take out her wand but instead the falling had stopped and she found herself floating gently to the bottom as if she were a feather. There was a dark marble floor at the bottom when she finally was able to set her feet down, her shoes clicked gently onto the marble and echoed slightly into the halls. Torches lit up along the halls to reveal doors and people walking from one room to the next, when she moved out of the little circular entrance she could see more clearly that there were a few owls flying from one tiny space to the other and some of the witches were chatting mid-air on brooms. Helga smiled to herself. She's only heard of the ministry but being raised in a convent she'd never had the opportunity to visit it. Rowena appeared behind her and the two women smiled at each other.<p>

"It's bigger than I thought." Helga smiled at her friend and Rowena nodded.

"Do you think he knows?"

"The ministry sent for us. He must know something." Helga answered carefully before turning around to wait for Godric, she hadn't seen him in years, and he'd changed a great deal though she could still tell that his humour still remained and his charm was perfectly intact. He was tall and very muscular. He took them into one of the smaller offices that was apparently unused when the door had closed behind them he turned around to look at them, one eyebrow raised. His green eyes a little more serious than they had been before.

"Now what is it I can do for you ladies?"

"We were asked to come by the ministry of magic Godric." He looked surprised at them both but waited for her to finish. "We were asked to find you and to inform you that the ministry of magic has been discovered by a small group of muggles."

"What?"

"No one told you?" Helga asked him carefully, she had expected him to be told, she had thought he would know about this but it seems that the ministry had kept him in the dark. Though Helga admitted they were all quite young to be entrusted with such delicate information, they were the sons and daughters of noble men, Godric's family in particular were wizards for generations, they were even important members of the muggle government.

"A few days ago some muggles discovered what's been going on for years. Suffice it to say that although these muggles are in no position to bargain, they made a proposition to the ministry of magic." Rowena ignored his surprise and kept on going.

"Really? Muggles?" Helga nearly laughed, the misconception that muggles weren't as smart as witches or wizards lingered everywhere, people liked to make jokes about it, but it was mostly because muggles were more formidable than the witches liked to admit to themselves. It was a way to make light of a difficult and frightening situation. If they were ever to find out, truly the extent of a witches' powers they would want to fight against it with everything they had. "I suppose it's not impossible, but go on. What did they suggest?"

"They suggest that the ministry of magic remain secret." She continued on, ignoring him as he frowned and wanted to speak. "On the condition that we protect muggles from witchcraft. We keep our communities hidden from them, we create laws that prohibit the use of magic against muggles etc."

"And how do they imagine we should enforce such laws? What makes them think that witches and wizards will even accept such laws forced upon us by muggles? Not a soul would accept such a thing."

"They want to create a force, completely comprised of witches and wizards. Trained to enforce the laws of the ministry of magic. We keep to our own, follow our own rules and the best part is, we keep the muggles out of it." Helga smiled at him. When she had heard about the deal she had been doubtful herself, but the cooperation between the muggle world and the magical world wold only occur in the government in the fact that they had to communicate with each other. Witches and wizards would be able to make up their own laws, and the consequences to breaking those laws would fall upon them as well. Helga was well-aware of the fact that the muggles didn't know what they were getting themselves into. Allowing the world of magic to not only organize themselves but unite to create a solution. It could eventually work against them but it was in their advantage so they hadn't said anything.

"Oh let me guess, they want _us _to create such a force."

"Precisely." Rowena smiled.

"Now, of course this enterprise would take a great deal of organizing, a lot of new spells and charms need to be composed." Helga started and looked at Godric hopefully, hoping he would cave to her the way he used to.

"That's where we come in. But you, you have the military skill and knowledge of people in the ministry who would be well-suited for such a task."

"Why do I get the feeling I don't have much of a choice here?" Godric looked at Helga who smiled back at him sweetly, apologetically.

"You don't really."

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><p>Salazar stood before the house, the tiny rickety house that had once been called home, the wretch still lived there. The drunkard who had sent him off to be schooled by monks in return for some money that had done him little good. He had finally left the monastery, refusing to become a bloody monk. He hated the humans, every last one of them. He couldn't stand their stupidity, their simplicity. And so he had practiced secretly in the hopes of becoming what he was meant to be. All by himself, while the monks believed he was praying in dedication, he was actually plotting against the injustice done to him.<p>

The smell that was coming from the house was incredibly foul as he pulled out his wand, the one that had once belonged to his mother, the only object he'd been able to save and keep safe after all these years. It was made of Kingwood and Thestral hair. He had very little knowledge of why he could wield this wand so efficiently but he found it suited him better than anything else he had used in the past. There was a loud barking as the door opened further but Salazar motioned at the dog sending it whimpering back into some forgotten corner. The barking was soon followed by a man's voice, an old man's voice. Raspy and neglected and drunk as ever. He came stumbling down the stairs, bellowing for anyone who dared enter his house, he was calling for the dog but the dog stayed away, when he finally lifted his eyes he seemed to sober a bit.

"Well, you decided to come back did yeh? Yeh were always stupid! Just like yer mother!" His words were cut off as Salazar slowly but surely raised his wand at the man. The filthy muggle who had sent his mother to her death. He couldn't believe the man was uttering the very words that had made Salazar his enemy, and now he stood perfectly frozen. His drunken glazed eyes wide with stupid fear and Salazar smiled wickedly. He waited for a moment turning his head curiously as he saw the man follow the movement of his wand, he recognized it. Salazar could smell the fear coming off him.

"Recognize it do you? I've waited a long time for this old man."

"What are yeh gonna do? Poke me with -" The old man was lifted in the air without so much of a word uttered by Salazar, the power that surged through him was immense, the anger that rolled through him worse. He remembered his mother's face as she cried before she had been killed and that sent him into an even worse fury.

"Crucio!" He hissed the words and watched vindictively as the man curled and contorted forcing himself into painful positions, cracking bones in his body and screaming in agony, Salazar waited for a good long while before releasing the old man who spit and screamed and swore at him for his pains. He revelled in the fact that his spells worked, he had planned them, practiced them and perfected them over years in the hopes that he might have this opportunity as the man was forced to stand up and bang his head against the wall incessantly until Salazar finally released him.

"Lumos!" There was a sudden light in the room but it didn't bother Salazar, his anger blinded him, made him deaf to everything else that was happening in the room. He felt a man's arms around him, someone large and formidable he tried for a moment to shake it off, and he did, feeling the presence disappear again before he felt a sudden sharp blow to his back.

"Expelliarmus!" A man's voice bellowed and Salazar's wand was forced out of his hand, he had no intention of giving up so easily, as the old man fell to the ground he leaped forward, his anger and hatred towards this thing surging through him and making him mad.

"Let it go! We'll take care of him!" The man's voice rang through his ears as something grabbed him by the back of his tunic and forced him out, he felt as if he were being constrained by ropes and dragged out of the house where he was met with darkness again. "Stop this, calm yourself man. You're going to get yourself killed if you keep this up. I know this pains you but you have to stop! Calm down!" The man's deep voice kept ringing through his ears, and when Salazar finally closed his eyes and listened he felt himself calm down, he listened to his own breathing and heard a ringing in his ears. Undoubtedly caused by the blow that had knocked his wand out of his hand. He wasn't entirely sure how that had happened either.

"Rowena, you take care of the old man. Make sure your spell works this time." He opened his eyes to find that he was still restrained, but he felt less panicked and most definitely less enraged. He had been infuriated, still was to a certain point, but part of it was sated, for now at least. He tried to sit up and saw a woman walk past him, she was wearing a dark blue gown, she almost blended in with the night as she stepped into the house and leaned over the old man. Once she seemed convinced at something she stood up straight and pointed her own wand at him.

"Obliviate." Salazar could hear her soft voice clearly, perhaps his ears were still remarkably sensitive but he was sure that she had whispered the words. He saw a tiny light flow from her wand into his head and he fell asleep.

"What did you do to him?" He asked her when she came out of the house, he sounded more calmly than he felt. For the longest time he had thought he was alone and now there were two others, more powerful it seemed than him and most assuredly more experienced.

"I erased his memory of this night. It is important to keep our secrets Mr. Salazar."

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><p>Rowena watched carefully as Helga leaned over to the man, he had shortly cropped black hair and small grey eyes, a narrow face and rather large ears she thought. She didn't trust him at all, something about him told her to be careful, it didn't help that he'd been performing a charm that she didn't know, and therefore he must have created it himself. It seemed to her to be some kind of torturing curse, and she had a serious disdain for all the dark arts. She found them seemly and wretched, and this wizard seemed all those things. She could tell that he was filled with an anger and a drive that was destructive, she handed his wand to Helga who smiled sweetly as Godric helped the man up.<p>

"If I give you your wand back will you use it on us?" Helga asked carefully, Rowena was gripping her own wand carefully, ready to move if he even tried anything. She couldn't help the jittery feeling he gave her, and she watched as Godric and Helga moved to help him, they were both too trusting, they thought mostly with their hearts and good humors. Making them amiable and charming people but Rowena couldn't comprehend such blind dedication to your instincts. She was always calm and calculated. She considered things before she made a decision, and right now every factor that she was considering told her not to give this man a wand. She wondered why he was so different from the others, they should be carrying him away in restraints, just like the others but instead Godric and Helga had both said that something was different about this man. Rowena had to admit that he seemed powerful despite his age, but he was angry, and that lead to fear and hatred.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Godric Gryffindor, this is Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw. We haven't come to hurt you, we're like you."

"Like me?" The man looked doubtful and suddenly Rowena understood his confusion. He hadn't been taught, one of the very few wizards who went through his entire life convinced that they were an oddity and a freak of nature. He had been entirely alone until now.

* * *

><p>Mister Slytherin, I would like you to meet our friends; this is Uric, Wendelin, Cornelius, Merwyn, and Hengist. Salazar looked over the odd group with a sense of both wonderment and dissapointment, they were the oddest people he had ever looked upon. He had always thought he was alone but in his mind he had hoped that if there were others they would be, like him, utterly superior to muggles. Instead he wondered if they could be any stranger. Cornelius and Hengist, seemed relatively normal the two men looked relatively similar except that Cornelius stood up perfectly straight, his brown hair was balding slightly and his beard was pointed the tunic he wore was black and tailored to fit him perfectly, above it he wore a black robe and there was a large black dog, like none that Salazar had ever seen, seated obediently next to his master. Much the same as its master it sat perfectly straight and stared at Salazar as if he would speak to him.<p>

Hengist looked only a bit wilder and a bit more amiable, his hair was more reddish than Cornelius' and his tunic was green with a blue robe over it. He too was balding with a very thick mustache that curled all the way to his ears and a small pointy goatee. He stood up at the sight of Salazar and nodded his head towards him. Salazar was unsure of what the protocol was here, but he stood stock-straight and regarded everyone with a careful calculation.

The others weren't nearly as normal looking as the first two, Merwyn had frightening features and was clearly the oldest man present, he wore a lime-green robe, with a hood drawn over his head, if not for the colour he would have passed for a monk. He had dark black eyes, similar to the Ravenclaw woman, except he seemed slightly amused at the sight of Salazar, and he bowed slightly at the waist, flaring his hands out as if it was the highest honour to meet him. It was at that point that he caught sight of Wendelin a woman who was covered in soot, she had bright green eyes and a smile that came too easily and too brightly, it made her look slightly crazed, her red gown was also covered in soot and she looked utterly dirty, as if she'd been rolling in the cinders of the fire all day. She smiled at him eagerly and waved as Godric introduced her. Salazar was forced to turn away at the smell of smoke that lingered on her, that heavy smell that made your eyes water and your lungs gasp for clean air. He turned quickly to the strangest creature he'd ever seen in his life.

At the moment the man was standing with his back to them, he was twirling his wand around his fingers, he seemed to have attached a cord to it, so he could hang it around his wrist, and Salazar instantly wondered if it was to ensure that he didn't lose it. The man looked utterly lost in his own thoughts when he heard Godric speak his name, he turned around and smiled warmly to Salazar. He wore an old monks robes, it was all patched and sewn up in places his long white hair came down in a beard almost all the way down to his belly and on the top of his head he wore what Salazar could only describe as some slimy creature.

"It's a jelly fish." The man smiled and took one of its tentacles in his hand, curling it around his fingers and smiling blissfully as if it had brought him some reassurance.

"Of course you've already met Helga Hufflepuff." Godric stated and Helga turned from the table that she'd been working at to smile at him. "And Rowena Ravenclaw." Rowena inclined her head towards him and he knew instantly that she disliked him, her eyes were the darkest black he'd ever seen, she had olive skin and long black hair that she kept tied up carefully behind the French hood that she wore. He could tell that she was formidable and wealthy as well as powerful, and he disliked her for all that too.

"And you are?" Salazar turned to the large man, he was actually only a few inches taller than himself but he was wider, more muscular and more impressive than Salazar was. Though Salazar could not be intimidated by any of them. To him they seemed like the oddest group of people to have come together and if this was what the rest of the wizarding world looked like he felt incredibly disappointed.

"I'm Godric Gryffindor. And these are the first aurors of the ministry of magic."

"Aurors?"

"Magical law-enforcement." Rowena spoke carefully and softly, it seemed she only spoke when she had something significant to contribute.

"For the _ministry _of magic?" Salazar finished doubtfully. He felt incredibly untrustworthy, but instead of commenting too much he turned his eyes back to Godric. He suddenly felt compelled to know everything he could about this strange selection of people. At the very least he was no longer alone.

* * *

><p>Helga sat outside, she was picking out the dead leaves from her plants since it was best to do this in the moonlight. She enjoyed the feeling of dirt under her nails, she believed it was thanks to Godric that she didn't mind getting dirt on her robes, or why she had such an affinity for animals and other creatures. Her time by herself in the darkness and silence of the night had made her more perceptive to her surroundings. Which is why she could hear footsteps coming down the halls of Godric's castle, the one he had been gifted by the minister of magic when he had accepted to lead the Aurors Office and train their new recruits.<p>

"Where are you going?" She let her voice carry softly over the slight breeze until it hit the person that was coming down the steps, he looked around him and Helga turned her head around to smile at him. She saw that he had a satchel pulled around his shoulder, and he was undoubtedly heading towards the stables. Perhaps he would steal a horse, he certainly didn't know how to use a broom. "From what I know about you, I'm surprised you've managed to stay this long."

"You know nothing about me."

"I know you were persecuted. You're not the only one you know."

"Stay away from me. All of you, I don't need your help." Helga turned around and looked at him carefully.

"You needed our help two nights ago, those curses you were performing, they were dangerous, if you don't use them correctly you could kill yourself, destroy yourself. You would deteriorate so quickly you wouldn't recognize yourself, become something else." She spoke heavily, she and Rowena had been taught under one of the most intelligent healers of all times, but Gunhilda of Gorsemoor had been severely deformed and only Rowena and Helga knew for certain what had caused it. She waited long enough to see him contemplate this, she knew he had no knowledge of the physical effects the dark arts had on a person. He smirked and tilted his head to the side, shrugging slightly. She could tell that he'd been used to surviving on his own, he'd taught himself, raised himself, he couldn't stand the thought of being dependant on anyone. "You know you are a good wizard Salazar, resourceful and inventive. But if you stayed, you could become- well- better." she smiled once more and turned to go back inside, her plants had enough care for one night.

"I won't stop you from leaving." She stopped right next to him and leaned over slightly so she didn't have to speak up. "I could. But I won't." She left him staring after her, she could tell that he was slightly amused by her but also incredibly doubtful and he didn't trust any of them. Not yet.

* * *

><p>Godric was sitting across from the muggle who had discovered them. Elfrida Clagg, Chief of the Wizards' council was also present, it so happened that the man who had discovered them was a muggle from one of the oldest noble families in all of England.<p>

"We were hoping that you could inform us regularly on how the ruling of your office goes miss Clagg. I understand that-"

"Let me stop you right there my lord. Although we thank you for the liberties you have provided us, we must remind you as to the agreement upon which you signed." The man looked offended and flustered to being put on his place. "It states that on the condition of us creating a government with true laws in place and the ability to enforce those laws, and to notify the muggle government thereof, you should agree to keep our secrets in place."

"Muggle?" The lord looked a little flustered and Elfrida had the nerve to roll her eyes. Godric stepped in and smiled politely, in the muggle world, they were equals, Godric had been born to a wealthy family in both Muggle and magic standards.

"Pardon us, non-magic humans." Godric offered the man a glass of wine. "As we were saying, we have created a government, in fact we have had one in place for some time now. And thanks to your excellent advice, we now have a superb law-enforcement in place to strengthen the new laws that have been passed." The man looked about to speak again but Godric interrupted him. "As you discussed earlier with my Lady Clagg, there is now a law that clearly states, that it is illegal for any witch or wizard to use magic against a muggle, or in their presence. Furthermore, all magical activities must be held in the magical world, out of sight from muggles."

They went on like this for awhile until the lord looked flustered.

"Yes well, that's all very good. But we were hoping to get your help in our own law-enforcement. We could use such- ah- talent in the military, of course you would have to be monitored, somehow."

"What if we don't want to be monitored?" Salazar walked past the door and stared into the room, he directed his gaze onto the muggle, staring at him intently with his grey eyes. "Why should muggles be permitted to interfere in magical business. If we are to be monitored, it will be by our own kind, not by you- people." The man's disdain for muggles seeped off him, but Godric understood his contempt. The danger of them being exposed to muggles, any muggles, made them vulnerable. Godric wasn't so worried for the grown witches and wizards who could probably defend themselves, or take precautions against being known as a witch but of those who couldn't. There were countless, orphaned children of wizards and witches. And there were those who weren't born to magical families, who by some magical quirk were born with magical abilities they wouldn't come to understand until someone sought them out or noticed their talent. Those could not defend themselves, Salazar had been one of those children and Godric was certain that was where he got his clear hatred towards muggles.

"First of all 'boy' this was my doing to begin with. Second of all this is Lady Clagg's decision, and she's fine with the humans being involved. Isn't that right?" Salazar looked at Elfrida Clagg intently, not at all in the same way as he had looked at the muggle, he looked at her with a certain expectation in his eyes, curiosity mixed with hope and a clear ideal of what she should say. He was waiting patiently for her answer though, she stared back at him, equally intent, Godric couldn't quite tell what she was thinking but she turned to look at the Muggle and smiled.

"Actually it's a question that should be put before the Wizards' council. But how about I spare us all some time and tell you now that these young men are quite right. You take care of yours, we'll take care of our own. You may expect to be notified if there are any urgent matters in which case the wizarding world might have an effect on yours. But otherwise don't expect to hear from us at all."

"Bloody witches all of yeh! What if I say no, eh?" He stood up now and bellowed to Elfrida Clagg, she looked as if she might be tipped over by the sheer force of the sound coming from his throat. Godric moved to stand between them. "We'll hunt you all down you know!"

"Good luck finding us." Godric grabbed the man by the shoulders and apparated him in front of the royal palace walls, he was too fast to be seen by muggles since he disappeared as quickly as he'd been there, but the muggles present took note of one of their most noble men appearing out of nothing onto the palace steps. The best part was that Godric knew that not a soul would believe the man when he told them what had happened, if he understood it at all. But honestly the man had been lucky to keep his memory at all. Godric reappeared in the office at his castle and was trying his very best to keep himself from laughing when Elfrida Clagg glared at him.

"Oh come now Elfie, he deserved that!"

"Perhaps he did, but you know you break more laws than you enforce!"

"You still love me." Godric smiled at her broadly, standing up and giving her a peck on the cheek, it sent the older woman blushing as she pushed him away and gave him a smack on the shoulder. Godric couldn't help but smile as she left stood in his office mumbling away about how impossible he was and that they should have never given him the position as Head Auror.

"One more thing Godric, I meant to give you this. We have a difficult situation on our hands, something I neglected to mention to the good muggle. We do have a new enemy, one of our own, a witch, is hoping to eliminate the muggles. What worries me, is that she's proving to be quite successful, and she's gaining supporters every day."

"Where?"

"The south of England, there are more and more muggles being attacked, they are found dead in their homes, entire towns burned down. It hasn't been classified as a witch attack yet, but it won't take long for the muggles to catch on and become afraid. Godric this needs to be dealt with and soon."

"We'll deal with it." Godric nodded and took the scrolls from her with the maps and the letters of information on it. Salazar stepped into his office just as Elfrida left and he smiled kindly at her.

"You work for the muggles?"

"No we work for the Wizards' Council."

"A division of the King's privy council."

"They have no authority over us." Godric reassured him and placed the documents on his desk he saw Salazar scoff and shake his head.

"But they do. The man was right, what will you do when they hunt for us? All of us? You can't protect everyone with your little team of witches."

"Our goal is to maintain our secrecy, we're no fools. But Salazar, we don't need to fight the muggles, peaceful cohabitation has been possible for a long time."

"In secrecy, separate worlds. Why do we hide? We're more powerful, more intelligent, more resourceful than the muggles. Why should we live in a secret submission to them when we are clearly superior to them?" Godric frowned and looked at his new friend, he was worried at the words coming from him, he could see his anger and his confusion at this organization. He understood that after years of oppression the man had hoped to find some kind of solace in this place. But the Wizards' Council's main goal had always been to maintain secrecy and protect the witches and wizards from being exposed.

"We can help people Salazar, we don't have to eliminate anyone. Our superiority should make us responsible for the well-being of those weaker than us. Just because we are more evolved does not mean they must see their end."

"You idealize the muggles."

"And you underestimate them my friend." Godric smiled and led the man out of the room. "Now, we should prepare for this new enemy, if we're going to have you join us, it's important you learn as much as you can. And quickly."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>_So this is the end of chapter two :D I hope you enjoyed, I know it took me a long time to write this but I do apologize, the weather has been too nice, and when I get the chance to write I end up doing it for my other unfinished fanfic, 'A Queen's Love' _

_I hope you liked this, I'm having a difficult time working out the kinks in the plot-line... we need to have them united at first obviously because they were all friends at some point but Salazar eventually creates a rift. Hatred for muggles doesn't just happen overnight so I really wanted to emphasize that although they find a way to guide Salazar, they can never really get him off the idea that muggles are bad... _

_Coming up next is training,... perhaps some quiditch and hopefully some action :D... Every single character in this story, originally belongs to J.K. Rowling, it turns out that there are soooooo many historical characters that she created, and were never really adressed in detail in the books or movies... but omgosh does it provide me with good material! I'm particularly fond of Uric... just wait until you hear what it was that they did, and who they became important historical figures in the history of magic. _

_please review... I'm curious to see what you guys think of this so far_

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	3. Tarantallegra

_**Author's note: **I apologize for the long break in between chapters... I hope the long chapter makes up for it and I hope you enjoy what I'm doing with this story. Please, please, please read and review. I would love to know what you all think._

* * *

><p>Rowena moved through the great hall with a very deliberate purpose. She was receiving glances and stares from all the other courtiers at the royal palace and none of them really bothered her. There were a few, intellectuals and philosophers that she knew by name but not in person, she wished she had the status to simply go up to them and speak to them plainly but such things weren't done in the muggle world. And she couldn't risk drawing any attention to herself. Not now, when the witches' council was so close to achieving some kind of peaceful agreement between them and the muggles.<p>

When she reached Godric Gryffindor's offices she waited patiently at the door, even though her marriage would have made it possible for her to simply walk in and command his immediate attention to her matter. Instead she found it interesting to wait patiently at his door, all the while taking in the looks and the stares from everyone surrounding her. The other ladies at court would glance at her sideways while the men would take her in from head to toe and then lean in whispering to her friends. It wasn't difficult for her to guess what they were thinking, or what they were talking about. Rowena's husband wasn't present at court, and it was uncommon for any lady to come to court without her husband unless they had been summoned by the king or queen and no such summons had been made for her. She was not a lady in waiting to the queen, nor was she the king's mistress, so the question remained what she could possibly be doing at court without her husband.

She shrugged it off, taking slight amusement in their discomfort while they racked their brains as to her intentions. The men had an entirely different train of thought however, and it could be read all across their faces. She wasn't unaware of her looks, her dark hair and eyes had always drawn attention to her, and her sun-kissed skin, while all English women strived to attain a pallor that was fair and creamy, and supposedly attractive, Rowena had always enjoyed being in the sun, being surrounded by light. It made her feel healthy, and apparently, according to her husband, it made her look exotic and rare, and quite beautiful.

The door opened to Godric's offices and a cardinal stepped out, there was no question as to who he was, he was the King's Royal Chaplain, Rowena curtsied deeply and kept her eyes downcast until the man unexpectedly offered her his hand.

"Lady Ravenclaw." She kissed the ring on his fingers as she was expected to do, though she had never understood these customs. The clergy were supposed to be holy messengers of God or something, she found the customs quite antiquated and foolish but she was forced to keep up appearances, or be burned at the stake and forced to fake her own death. He allowed her to stand and when she turned her eyes up to his he narrowed his eyes at her. His entire face seemed to grow sour and angry and she wondered very cautiously what had caused it.

"What might you be doing here?"

"I have an audience with his Grace, the Lord Gryffindor."

"What could a silly girl like you have to say to his Grace?" He scoffed and turned away from her rudely. She fought the urge to pull out her wand and instead curtsied as was expected of her. She hated this, hated that women were so easily dismissed merely because of their sex, she wished she could make clear to him someway that her power exceeded that of his tenfold but instead she was forced to obey the muggle way of living and curtsy to a man who had no sense, non intelligence and no wisdom to see his equal in a woman. Any woman, not just her.

"The lady Ravenclaw, your Grace." She was announced to Godric and so she pushed her anger far away, resigning herself to the fact that the man was a fool, even worse. He was a fool who believed he was right, and there was no changing a man like that, and so there was no point in mulling over it.

Godric was seated at a desk hunched over documents, she had never seen him like this, nor had she ever expected to see him like this. Hunched over books and documents, for a man as large as Godric Gryffindor the position seemed completely unnatural and slightly comical and he looked incredibly overwhelmed.

"Leave us." He grumbled to the serving boys once she was inside the room and the boys swiftly and quietly left them, closing the large door behind them. "Bloody clergy, think they can rule over this kingdom, make the people believe in superstitious horseshit!" He mumbled and threw a piece of parchment to the side while sighing frustratedly. Rowena suppressed the urge to giggle, taking a bit of contentment in the fact that the Royal Chaplain didn't just rub her the wrong way. "I swear to Merlin there is something here. He's hiding something and if only I could make sense of it."

"Perhaps a fresh pair of eyes would help."

"By all means, if you think you can make more sense of it than I." He stood up and offered his chair to her. Rowena sat down and looked over the different sets of parchment reading the accounts. They didn't make sense, she realized now as she glanced over them. She tried remembering her lessons, but really those had only been secondary to her own mind, her love for puzzles and codes, she read over the two pieces, pulling phrases from one parchment and placing them next to some from the other, and all the while feeling as if something was missing. Something wasn't entirely right about the syntax of the sentences, the framing of this entire document seemed pulled out of context.

"On the surface they seem perfectly in order but the way it's written, these reports- they're-"

"Just slightly incoherent, I know. That bloody snake is up to something I can feel it in my gut. I just-"

"Show me that other piece that you threw away just now." Rowena placed her two pieces of parchment side by side and held out her hand for the piece that he had thrown on the ground. He handed it to her and she placed the third one above the other two, creating a bit of a pyramid. "How fascinating."

"What is?" Godric leaned over her shoulder and Rowena wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for the fact that he towered over her completely, he was a large man and his entire frame sheltered her as she refocused on the task at hand.

"Well neither parchment is complete without the other. On their own they look like individual reports of accounts but if you place them next to each other, you see here-" She pointed at a line on the first list of accounts that described the activity of some monastery and followed it. "It continues on to this piece of parchment here. And then concludes here. If you follow this, you'll see that these three pieces of parchment are actually a single list of accounts."

"Accounts of what?"

"He's using his powers to supposedly 'reform' decayed monasteries and rid England of its corrupt clergy."

"And every muggle-man woman and child in England blesses him for it."

"Well of course they would, if only all the money was going to the King's treasury and not into his pockets."

"Bloody hell. I knew the man's house was too big."

* * *

><p>Godric sat down across from her, it was strange sitting on the other side of his desk and yet she seemed to fit in that chair much more comfortably than he did. He watched her carefully, even though she had figured out the puzzle she seemed to remain intrigued by it. Continuing diligently with a look of determination on her face that Godric hadn't seen yet. He noticed suddenly the stains of ink on her fingers and hands, how she so naturally pulled back her sleeves so she could work without worrying about the expensive silk of her gown.<p>

"You do this type of thing often do you?" He mused, she never really glanced up at him, she continued in her work but smiled softly at his remark.

"Not this type of thing. But I do enjoy a good puzzle, or a riddle. Anything really that forces me to think harder, to work to find an answer."

"And yet this isn't why you came to see me is it?" Now she turned her head up and looked at him intently, her dark eyes searching his green ones and he enjoyed the challenge that she seemed to present to him. It was difficult to read her, and she seemed surprised at him, though what it was about him that she found so interesting he couldn't really comprehend. He was a warrior, plain and simple, he could lead people and protect them, and he found profound enjoyment in doing so but there wasn't much more to him than that. "Walk with me." He stood up and offered his hand to her, and she looked at him for a moment with apprehension written on her face as she struggled to choose between a walk with him or continuing the puzzle that would torment her until she finished it. Godric laughed at her indecisiveness and took her hand off the desk, pulling her to stand.

"The work isn't going anywhere, and the fresh air will do us some good." He placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and the two of them left his offices. The moment they came out of his offices, her hand on his arm and pulled close to him he noticed the staring. There was no question about her beauty and it didn't surprise him that men were ogling her as they walked through the halls but having her held so close to him was clearly causing whispers from the other ladies at court and he wasn't entirely sure how he should feel about that.

"Your husband doesn't mind you being at court without him?"

"My husband wouldn't leave Scotland for all the King's treasury. And he doesn't much care for my activity as long as it doesn't interrupt his ongoings."

"He's a fool then, to leave a woman like you to your own devices. Every man at court wants a piece of you."

"And every woman at court would see me burned first. I have no interest in personal gain in the muggle court Godric. I came to defend the rights of witches and wizards."

"Particularly witches I take it."

"Do you think me wrong to hope that women could be considered equal to men?"

"Not wrong, just hopeful."

"You disagree then, that women might be equal to men?"

"In intelligence, there is no argument that women can be equal, or even surpass men, but physically I cannot agree with you."

"You don't think a woman could defend herself?" Rowena stopped and turned to look at him with a curious look, her dark eyes boring into him and Godric found himself strangely challenged by her. She pushed him, questioned him in a way that no other person had ever done before and he found it mesmerizing, fascinating and entirely admirable.

"I think perhaps she could, but women don't have the sensibility, do you honestly think that women have the crude ability to compartmentalize so that they could take another person's life? Just because you are intelligent doesn't mean that you can disassociate yourself enough to take a life, even if it were to defend yourself."

"Just because you are a man doesn't automatically give you the ability to defend yourself or your family."

"Any man worth his salt will at least try, and if he can't defend his family then he will die trying."

"That doesn't make him any better than a woman. If you truly believe that a woman will fight any less than a man for her family then you are mistaken."

"Alright perhaps for her family, but for country, for duty. Do you really think women could lead men into battle? Being clever isn't everything you know, it doesn't make you a good leader."

"Neither does brute strength. Courage isn't the only thing that makes a good leader. Courage without common sense would only be stupidity." He laughed loudly, he realized that the more passionate she became in an argument, the more her Scottish accent found its way to the surface and he enjoyed hearing it from her, it made her so much more human. His laughter was ringing around the garden and causing some other people to turn and look at them, her outrage at his argument amused him to no end. She was angry and yet her intelligence and wit never gave way to her emotions, and she was right too.

"That may be true my lady Ravenclaw, but you can't expect a man to change his ways overnight. If women suddenly were proven to be independant where would that leave men? For centuries men have measured their self-worth on how well they can care for their women, and if it proves that you no longer need us then what does that leave us with?" He leaned in to ask her the question because with everyone's eyes and ears directed on them it was best to keep their conversation to themselves. If other courtiers found out that Rowena Ravenclaw believed women to be equal to men, and that Godric Gryffindor was intrigued by the thought then it would put both of them in a difficult position.

"Your brute strength I suppose." Godric was forced into another fit of laughter, but this time she joined in with him. Her laughter was soft and genuine as they both took enjoyment in her wit and Godric once again found that they had become distracted. He was astounded at how easy it was to speak with her on these matters, her mind was filled to the brim with information, and not only that but well-formed opinions and theories. Helga had written of her wit and her beauty but he'd never truly understood it until now. Her beauty seemed to become more and more evident to him the more he heard her speak. His respect had grown for her immensely and he viewed her in a way that he'd never viewed another woman in his life.

"So what is it that was so important you couldn't speak to me about it at our headquarters?" He stopped them and sat her down on one of the benches that had been placed all around the king's gardens. This one sat right beneath a purple glory tree, with the sunlight falling directly over them it cast her in a soft glow that made Godric blink as he took in the darkness of her hair against the soft purple of the blossoms.

"I ask you to listen to me before you judge what I have to say."

"That sounds ominous. What's bothering you lady Ravenclaw?"

"Salazar Slytherin." She said the name with a certain tightness in her voice that told him it was difficult for her to bring it up to him. "I think he's dangerous." Godric felt himself tense up instantly, he wanted to be careful on this particular subject, in any other circumstances they would have arrested Salazar, but he wasn't like their other offenders. He was ignorant of their ways and eager to learn, and naturally very intelligent. He was silent for a moment as he sat down next to her, looking out at the royal palace.

"What makes you think that?" He was truly worried that Rowena Ravenclaw in all her intelligence and clearness of mind had seen or heard something that would make her certain as to Salazar's intentions but he hadn't expected her response.

"He hasn't done anything if that's what you're worried about. But he will."

"How do you know this?"

"He's wound very tightly Godric. You've heard him, the way he speaks of muggles, he has a hatred for them that I have never seen before."

"He doesn't understand yet."

"And he never will Godric, a hatred like that is rooted very deep, and though we have all suffered under the superstitious idiocy of muggles I don't think any of us can say that we harbor ill will towards _all_ muggles."

"Neither does he. I would have thought you would find an equal in him Rowena. His willingness to learn-"

"Surpasses even mine sometimes, I will agree, but the anger that resides within him makes everything he does precarious."

"He just needs time to learn-" Godric felt his patience wearing thin, as much as her intelligence held her up, his instincts held him, and his instincts were still telling him that Salazar could be saved, could be taught, but he needed her to see it too. His own experience wasn't enough to convince Salazar that they could coexist peacefully with muggles, he needed everyone to help get him on board with their plan.

"And what if he doesn't want to? He wants to learn magic, gain an understanding of it, and for that I commend him but his interest goes much further than just the protection of witches and wizards Godric. He has an innate urge to harm all those that have, or might one day harm him."

"And how do you know that? How could you possibly judge him more harshly than the rest of us?" He found himself standing again and rounding on her, he spent so much time fighting against muggle-discrimination and now he realized he was dealing with another kind from within his circle of friends and he could hardly stand it, least of all from her.

"I don't know anything for certain." She stood up and moved closer to him again, lowering her voice so that others wouldn't overhear them. "But Godric I came to you out of respect, you know him better than any of us, and you won't find me repeating these words ever again. But they had to be said and you had to be the one to hear them. I hope to all the spirits that I am wrong about this, but that man is dangerous. His anger and his hatred towards all muggles is going to lead him into darkness and if we're not careful he's going to drag all of us down with him." She curtsied to him then, casting her eyes downward to appease the muggle audience they had attracted and began walking away from him but he turned around and pulled her close again by her wrist. He had underestimated his own strength again, as he had only a few times before but she threw him off balance it seemed. Now she stood close enough for him to smell her perfume she stared at his hand on her wrist but kept her eyes downturned.

"You're wrong about this Rowena."

"And I hope I am wrong Godric. But I'm afraid that I rarely am."

* * *

><p>"You must remember to imagine the object you are summoning very clearly in your mind otherwise it won't work. And pronunciate. Like so; <em>Accio <em>broom." Salazar watched her very carefully, the beautiful woman that was Rowena Ravenclaw, he also found her intimidating and shrewd. Beautiful though she may be, for some reason he found her untrustworthy, though he found most people that way, he remembered to take special note not to underestimate her. He watched as a broom floated easily through the doorway and into her hand with an ease that he hadn't yet mastered.

"_Accio_ spellbook." He repeated the gesture and the words carefully and watched as one of the spellbooks lifted off the table with difficulty only to drop right back down where it had been.

"It takes practise. In the meantime let's try something else."

"Rowena!" Godric's booming voice appeared before the man did and when he did appear he looked elated. Rowena turned her head calmly and gracefully and gave him one of her subtle smiles as she seemed to know before everyone else what he was thinking. "Forgive me for disrupting your lessons. But I have urgent news for you lady Ravenclaw." Calling her by her title seemed to be some kind of a private joke to him, and it hadn't gone unnoticed to Salazar that the two of them had formed some kind of an alliance amongst themselves.

She turned her head to look at Salazar first.

"Would you mind terribly Salazar?" She had only recently begun calling him by his first name and for some reason only Rowena Ravenclaw could sound perfectly formal even when trying not to be. Though her Scottish accent had become more and more pronounced ever since then she and Godric had formed a clear friendship, it was as if she was more at ease.

"By all means. My inadequacies are probably boring you anyway."

"Don't be ridiculous. Practise makes perfect." She waved a hand at his former comment as if dismissing it from the air and scrutinized him with those dark eyes of hers, which he met with his cold grey eyes. Something he thought unnerved her just the slightest bit.

"Then I shall practise while you are gone." He bowed his head to her slightly and then heard a giggling from a corner somewhere.

"My, my aren't we all very proper." Helga had come in from her greenhouse, it was always evident when she had dirt underneath her nails and her hair was pulled out of its original shape, just enough so a few auburn curls were falling down her face. "Salazar why don't you take some time to just have fun?"

"Fun?" He turned to look at her more carefully, her blue eyes twinkled back at him and she smiled.

"Yes fun, clearly you've never even heard of the concept. Come on, let's go have fun while these two discuss politics and strategy."

"That can be fun too!" Godric spoke out and Helga giggled.

"I didn't think I'd ever hear those words coming from you Godric."

"Oh and why is that?"

"Because when we were young, the only thing that might constitute fun was the thing that would get us into the most trouble."

"If I recall well, _you _were the one who always got me into trouble, Helga Hufflepuff."

"But I also always got you out of it, didn't I?" Godric laughed and Salazar felt for a moment like the outsider that he was. He hadn't been raised with them, didn't know them the way they all knew each other so well. Even Rowena and Godric, though raised apart, understood each other because of their upbringing. They had been raised to become something, whereas Salazar had been raised by monks who had hoped to beat all the goodness out of him and turn him into something he despised.

"In that case, why don't you go get Salazar into trouble so you can get him out of it again, while Rowena and I will talk politics."

"Don't dare her Godric, you know she'll do exactly that."

"Should I be worried?" Salazar interrupted the conversation, suddenly feeling himself on unfamiliar ground. He spent most of his days with Rowena, in rigorous training so that he could catch up with them. But other than Godric he didn't really know much about any of them, except that they were like him.

"Yes."

"No."

Their answers came at the same time and they were met with a fit of laughter that even Salazar couldn't help, when they all fell silent Godric and Rowena had left the room and he was left standing alone with Helga.

"You should do that more often."

"What, be worried?"

"No." She giggled again, a sweet ringing giggle and then reached for him, taking him by the hadn and pulling him out of the room. "Laugh, Salazar. You should laugh more."

* * *

><p>"Alright try this one," Helga spoke in between fits of whispered giggles as they were both trying to keep quiet. They were hidden in the stables next to one of the horses and they were performing spells on passing by courtiers. Helga seemed to be deliberately picking out those that looked like men and women of the highest importance at court. She pointed her wand at a man who was wearing the most ridiculous lavender coloured tunic, his shoes were made of silk and his hat was adorned with feathers and some jewels that didn't match. "Tarantallegra." She whispered and with a jolt, the man was sent into the strangest dance he had ever seen as the man skipped around another courtier, hands on his hips before doing some type of folk-dance, kicking his legs out one at a time.<p>

Helga's laughter was infectious and mesmerizing, it made her look like the young girl she really was instead of the woman she pretended to be in front of other ministry members. "Now you try. It's very simple, just point and say the spell, and then imagine them dancing."

Salazar imitated her movement and found, much to his amusement that the spells and charms she had taught him were much easier to perform than the ones Rowena had been teaching him. An older woman was forced to break out in a dance, she looked like a chicken with its head cut off the way she moved around slapping her knees and-

"Quick someone's coming!" Helga pulled him down and backwards and they were both forced to hide their wands as quickly as possible, if they were caught they would be sure to be burned as witches, though now Salazar knew the charm to prevent actually being burned. They turned a corner and Salazar immediately turned them right back around it when he realized that one of the guards was coming their way.

"They're coming this way, what do we do?" Salazar's heart was beating out of his chest, his fear of being persecuted was seared deep within him he realized, and yet he didn't want to panic.

"Uhm- I-" He could hear the footsteps growing closer and as they did, his heart seemed to beat faster than was humanly possible before he turned her around and pushed her up against the wall of the stable, he watched her eyes grow for a moment in shock as she gasped at his sudden roughness, he hadn't wanted to scare her but it was the only thing he could think of that would keep them away from suspicion.

* * *

><p>She hadn't known what to think when he kissed her, she realized that it was out of necessity and they had been in real danger of being suspected of witchcraft and yet when it happened it seemed that time had stood still between them. She had felt him push her against the wall of the stables, the smell of the horses and the straw suddenly dissipating and giving way to the smell of him, of ink, bergamot, and cedar wood. His lips were much softer than she could have ever expected, he kissed her softly at first but she found herself, unexpectedly kissing him back. Feeling a sudden jolt from deep within her that she had never experienced before, a warmth that grew from her very center as she found him, his arms found their way around her waist as he pulled her tighter to him, and pushed her further back into the wall. Suddenly Helga found herself more selfish than she'd ever been in her entire life when she placed her arms around his neck and permitted him to kiss her more passionately.<p>

She didn't know what to think, her head was reeling, her thoughts lost somewhere behind the warmth of him against her, and the taste of him on her lips.

"Ahem-" Someone cleared their throat and in doing so pulled them both out of their smallest moment of- whatever it was. Helga wasn't sure, but when she came out of the kiss she forced herself to look away from the thing that had so rudely interrupted that moment. "You best take your lass elsewhere, the king's going for a hunt."

"Thank you sir. Forgive us-"

"Tha's alright, there's nothin' wrong with a bit of snoggin'. Just as long as you mind the lady's wishes, if you know what I mean."

"I do, we'll be out of your way then." Salazar took her by the hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow, pulling her out of the stables and through a side-door, back into the palace. Helga still felt that her head was swimming. But she couldn't comprehend how he had been so cool and collected after what had just happened. She wasn't at all sure about how she should feel about it. He had kissed her, and she had kissed him back.

"That was close." She finally muttered, when she'd regained some of her train of thought and they were heading back towards the entrance to the ministry headquarters.

"It was, we should head back before Godric and Rowena send out a search party for us." He pulled her through the entrance but Helga had a pitting feeling in her stomach that that was the end of the discussion.

* * *

><p>Months went by before there was another attack and Rowena felt that with the changing of the seasons there had been an immense change in Salazar, he was more carefree, and his lessons went better. It was becoming more and more likely to her that Godric had been right all along, and he took great pride in it. He and Salazar spent a great deal of their time pouring over maps and old strategic manuscripts, so that Salazar learned not only to duel but to lead. He could never quite defeat Godric however, and it was no surprise really, since in both the muggle world and the wizarding world Godric was the best dueller of their time. And he was at the prime of his life. They had all become quite used to living quietly and harmoniously with each other, though Rowena couldn't help but notice a slight change in Helga, something that she'd promised never to enquire about after the first time. Helga had seemed slightly embarrassed by the mere mention of it and though it hurt Rowena to think that there was something that Helga wouldn't tell her about, she knew better than to press the issue.<p>

Months had gone by, strangely quiet and void of any attacks on muggles until one day when Elfrida Clagg came down to their training grounds herself in quite a huff about something The woman was red with anger as she moved to where Godric was standing and pointed at something on his map.

"The Hollow." She spoke. The sound of Elfie's voice had drawn attention, Hengist, Uric, Cornelius and Wendelin were all drawing closer to the conversation.

"What about the Hollow?" Godric gave Elfrida one of his most winning smiles but she was unaffected.

"There's been an attack." Rowena closed her book and stood up moving over to the desk and looking at the place on the map that Elfrida had marked with a pin.

"On the Hollow? Why?"

"Merlin's beard, I don't know why. But there's been an attack, and some of the children were taken."

"How old were they?" Rowena asked carefully and watched as Godric's frown grew deeper and deeper.

"Eleven, they were all the same age."

"The Hollow is an all-wizarding village, why would they attack it? They've been attacking muggle villages." Salazar was now studying another map where they had marked all the other attacks.

"They want the children." Rowena stated and looked up from the map to Godric. "Children start to display power at eleven, they're also most impressionable at that age." She turned her eyes from Godric to Salazar.

"So what? They're recruiting children?" Hengist was repulsed by the idea and Cornelius was shaking his head at the mere thought of it.

"They're building an army." Uric seemed to sometimes understand completely what was going on around him and other times his mind seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

"Against whom though?" Wendelin interrupted.

"I don't care what they're doing, they're a threat to the ministry now." Elfrida Clagg interrupted quite rudely and turned her eyes on Godric. "I want them dealt with and now."

"We don't know what we're up against Elfie."

"So find out and deal with it. And be quick about it." She left them with the reports of the attack and then turned on her heel, leaving them to it.

"I don't think she cared this much when it was just muggles being attacked." Merwyn noted and Rowena continued looking in the direction in which Elfrida had disappeared. She wasn't a fan of muggles and their idiotic ways of viewing life but she wouldn't stand for them being treated any worse than them.

"She didn't care when it was muggles being attacked." She confirmed, feeling slightly enraged.

"It doesn't matter what she cares about, we have work to do." Godric determined and set them all to work.

* * *

><p>Salazar was busy looking over the maps that they had chartered that showed all the villages that had been attacked, he couldn't comprehend, if this was the same assailant why they would first attack muggles and now suddenly a village of witches and wizards. It seemed completely abnormal and an enormous risk to take considering the fact that the witches and wizards in the village were more than capable of defending themselves. The families where the children had been abducted had been wiped out, the parents were dead and the children missing. The other villagers that had attempted to come between them had been either seriously harmed or killed in the process. Helga walked by, temporarily distracting him from the task at hand.<p>

"Helga, are you- alright? I mean- we haven't spoken in a while- I just-" She frowned at him for a moment, something that seemed so unnatural to her demeanor that it threw him for a moment before she smiled again.

"I'm fine Salazar. Why?" She seemed to not understand, and he wasn't good at this sort of thing, he wasn't even entirely sure what he was doing. He wasn't used to going around kissing girls, in fact he wasn't really used to feeling anything, for anyone. He didn't know what he was supposed to do in this case. And considering his own embarassment and her close relationship to Godric he couldn't possibly bring up the topic with him. No matter how much Godric was like a brother to him, he was quite certain that Godric would rip his head off if he knew that he had kissed Helga.

"They must already have an impressive number working together to accomplish an attack on the Hollow like this." Rowena interrupted his train of thought, and saved him from speaking further to Helga on the matter.

"Why would they suddenly change course and begin attacking Wizarding villages?" Salazar answered Rowena with another question, he cared less about the number, it seemed that with magic, your strength relied more on your wit than your numbers.

"The hatred people bare towards muggles isn't to be underestimated."

"But to attack your fellow witches?" Salazar left out the part where he could vaguely comprehend their urge to attack muggles, but not their own kind.

"If they believe that they have something to accomplish-"

"What could they possibly accomplish?"

"Keeping the blood pure-" Merwyn sauntered up and spoke in that low hissing voice that unnerved most people, and he received dark glances from both Rowena, Godric and Helga, Salazar didn't think he'd ever seen all of them react so simultaneously towards anything.

"Merwyn leave it alone." Rowena warned but Merwyn only smirked at her and winked at Salazar.

"What does he mean?" Salazar turned his gaze on Godric who frowned and shook his head.

"There are many of us who believe that the wizarding blood must remain pure, it shouldn't be muddled up with that of muggles."

"That's enough Merwyn." Godric's voice was stern and authoritative, the way it only was when he was angry about something.

"Thaddeus Thurkell!" Uric was shouting from another room, he sounded very upset, and they all pulled towards the sound as Uric came leaping into the room, his arms flailing around him in a very urgent manner. He turned towards Godric and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Thaddeus Thurkell, he's taking the children. Teaching them things, dark things, bad things, he's a bad man he is. Thaddeus Thurkell."

"Where is he?" Godric gripped him tightly but Uric was lost to them, Salazar had often wondered why Uric was kept around, he sometimes thought that it was really just Godric's compassion that let him stay but now he realized that Uric seemed to know things the rest of them didn't, somehow.

"His boys, poor children, poor dearies, it's not their fault. Squibs, the lot of them. All seven of them."

"Uric, look at me." Rowena stepped in and held up her wand; her light redwood wand that was delicately carved and thinner than most wands, it was much like her. Small, delicate and beautiful but focused and good for complicated protection spells. She had explained to him once, the importance of a wizard's wand, now as she held it up in front of Uric a small light appeared at its tip and he stood still, focusing carefully on the light and he seemed to calm down. "What did you see?"

"Thaddeus Thurkell, father of seven, squibs all of them. He turned them into hedgehogs, all of them, poor boys. It wasn't their fault, no, it was their mother's fault, muggle-born, he says. Wizards shouldn't mix with muggles, not even muggle-borns, it muddles the blood. It's no good, they're no good."

"Why is he kidnapping the children?"

"Not kidnapping, saving them, so they don't know other muggles, only each other. They won't muddy up the blood. He says they'll stay pure."

"Bloody hell." Rowena suddenly pulled away from Uric and went flying in the other direction of the room.

* * *

><p>Rowena's mind was reeling with different possibilities now that she understood. Godric was following closely on her heel while some of the others were trying to calm Uric down and Merwyn seemed to be taking silent enjoyment out of all this. Damn him, if he didn't have such a brilliant mind she would have petrified him by now.<p>

"Rowena what is it?"

"The villages he attacked, they weren't random! There were specific families targeted, I can't believe we didn't see it before." She was pulling out the maps and the papers and reports of the attacks. "All children begin to display power at eleven, some older, that's why we begin teaching them at that age."

"Yes so?"

"All children Godric. Not just those from old wizarding families, but those that are from muggle families. Those with parents who don't have a drop of magic in them but somehow their children begin to display power."

"Bloody hell don't tell me-"

"The families that were attacked all had children around the age of eleven, or a bit older. They weren't just muggle children, they must have started showing symptoms of magical abilities, and if this Thadeus wants to keep the bloodlines pure-"

"Then they pose a threat."

"Now he's going after wizarding families, taking the children so he can keep them safe, teach them in his ways, teach them to keep the bloodlines pure, that they shouldn't trust muggles, that we're better than them."

"We need to find out where he'd go next."

"Little Hangleton is the nearest wizarding town." Cornelius came into the conversation and pointed out the small town on the map.

"We need to get there first." Godric moved around the table and motioned for Salazar to come up with him.

"Uric and Merwyn you both stay here. Rowena and Wendelin, I need you both to apparate in and out if the children need to be taken somewhere safely. Salazar, Cornelius and Hengist, I want you all on point with me, wands at the ready at all times. Helga I need you to stay here as well-"

"Godric-" She looked up and protested, Salazar could see the urgency in her eyes and the way she pursed her lips when he refused her.

"You are the best healer, if anyone is harmed we'll need you here."

"Be careful."

* * *

><p>They were gone much too long. And the place was dangerously quiet. Uric had gone back into his state of strange but blissful ignorance and Merwyn was simply immersed in some book about the dark arts, Helga had already placed everything she needed at the read in case someone came back wounded but no one had come back. Not even a message, nothing to let her know that they were either safe, or in danger.<p>

"This is ridiculous, they're taking much too long."

"Give it time girl." Merwyn's voice hissed from his darkened corner and Helga felt like she should cringe at the sound of it.

"It's been nearly eight hours. It's too long, something's wrong, I can feel it."

"Patience is-"

"Damn you and your patience." She pulled out her Rosewood wand with Unicorn hair at its core and closed her eyes as she focused on her destination and willed herself in that place. There was a white light as she felt her insides lurch upwards. When she landed she landed in the midst of a war zone, there were jinxes and curses being thrown at her the moment her feet hit the ground. But they were mistaken if they thought that she was a naive little witch.

"Confundus!" She reacted quickly and without hesitation, and struck the nearest witch who had tried to petrify her.

"Stupefy!"

"Ennervate!" She silently thanked Merlin for Rowena drilling all the counterspells into her head as she barrelled forward as best she could. "Reducto!" A very tall wizard went flying into a wall when she finally caught sight of Hengist.

"Well it's about time you got here!"

"Where is everyone else?"

"They're fine, Godric and Rowena have gone to find the children and get them to safety just now." Cornelius stood up from where he had clearly bumped his head, brushing dust off himself.

"And Salazar?"

"He- uh-"

"Hengist! Where's Salazar?"

"He ran after Thaddeus, we tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen." That terrible feeling that had been growing in Helga's gut suddenly seemed to have found reason and Helga found her legs moving before she could think on it.

"Which way did he go?"

"That way but Helga- don't- where do you think you're going- Helga wait!" She knew she could run faster than either of the older men and before she realized what she was doing she had come upon Salazar duelling Thadeus by himself, they were in the middle of the street and Thaddeus was sending curse after curse, flying towards Salazar. She saw Thaddeus catch sight of her and his wand suddenly changed direction as he sent something soaring her way.

"Protego!" She shouted, not knowing exactly what his own curse had been, but it sent it flying back to him. He was knocked backwards for a moment but he instantly stood back up, having the two of them there though, threw him off guard, it made him angry enough for Salazar to have the opportunity to send another jinx his way.

"Stupefy!" His voice rang over the street, echoing off the walls as the man flew backwards onto the street. She saw him shout something, aiming his wand at Salazar just before he was hit by Salazar's spell.

"Petrificus Totalus!" She sent her own spell flying towards him while he was still mid-air and it made him stiff as a board.

"Expelliarmus." The man's wand came flying out of his hand and fell perfectly into Salazar's who pocketed the thing while still keeping his own wand on the man.

"Nice of you to join us." Salazar muttered, and sighed as he moved closer to Thaddeus and poked him slightly with his foot.

"Did you really expect me to miss out on all the fun?"

"You call this fun?" Salazar turned his grey eyes on hers and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I wouldn't call it boring." She smiled at him and he smiled for only a moment, until it gave way to a frown and he turned his eyes back down to their enemy.

"Salazar! Bloody hell man, that was impressive." Godric came running up behind him and Salazar smiled for only a moment before he frowned again, Helga couldn't help but think that something was wrong.

"It's a good thing Helga showed up. I don't think-"

"Well, I suppose there's no keeping you home." Helga frowned at her old friend and nearly rolled her eyes when Salazar grunted under the weight of Godric's arm. Helga instinctively moved forward and helped him stand up checking his chest for any obvious wounds. There was a burn on his ribs, right beneath his heart.

"Helga, I can't see."

"Can you manage? Where's Rowena? I need to get him back to the ministry."

"You go, I'll get Rowena and the children and we'll meet you back there."

* * *

><p>Salazar was in a bad way, by the time she got him back to the ministry he could barely stand up straight, Merwyn was absolutely no help and though Uric helped her levitate him to his bedchamber, she realized he was more distracted than anything. He was unnerved by everything that was going on, she made herself a mental note to make him a cup of tea after she'd seen to Salazar. He was in and out of consciousness and it made her wonder what type of curse could have done something like this.<p>

"Uric, can you please get Merwyn to come up here I need his help." She wasn't entirely sure if Uric was aware of what was going on at the moment but he seemed clear enough to understand her words.

"Get help."

"Yes Uric, get help. Thank you."

"Uric go get help." He spun on his heel and headed out the door while twirling one of the jellyfish tentacles around his fingers the way he did when he got confused. She wished for a moment that Gunhilda was still with them, that she could send an owl asking her immediate advice but the woman was gone and Helga missed her constantly. The woman had developed a cure for the dragon pox and here Helga was, in a much less severe situation and she couldn't even think properly.

She pushed herself to think, the way Rowena always forced her to and thought carefully of what she should do. One step at a time. She pulled away what was left of Salazar's shirt so she could look at the wound and determine how severe it was. It was a minor burn but it was obviously just a residue of the spell that had struck him. She needed to know what spell had been cast on him before she could counter it. Thaddeus had managed one last spell before he hit the ground, he must have actually struck Salazar. She tried desperately to try and remember what he had said, the words that had come out of his mouth, and if she couldn't remember perhaps she would force him to tell her. She went over those last few moments over and over before remembering suddenly that Salazar had Thaddeus' wand, that was even better than interrogating the man.

She searched his tunic and his robes and pulled out what she assumed was Thaddeus' wand, she knew that Salazar had an old Kingwood wand, and this one was made of ash wood.

She held it up in front of her and muttered the words that she'd rarely had to use.

"Priori incantanto." It revealed very slowly but she came to realize quickly that he had cast a Conjunctivitis curse on him, which explained his eyesight dissipating but because it had hit him in the chest and not his face, it had taken longer to take effect. She put aside Thaddeus' wand and pulled out her own wand, pointing it right between Salazar's eyes and muttering the counter-spell for the curse. Hoping it would take effect quickly.

* * *

><p>"How is he?" Rowena asked when Helga came down the stairs to find her and Godric surrounded by a dozen children.<p>

"There are so many of them."

"We thought he was only taking the eleven year olds. We were quite mistaken."

"The poor things." Rowena watched Helga's shoulders drop as she glanced over at Godric who was reading over some papers while holding a little girl to his chest.

"She won't let go of him." She mentioned as Helga took in the little girl that was clutching onto Godric who still had soot in his hair and on his face from the attack. "You didn't answer me, how is he?"

"He's asleep, he'll be fine. Rowena, I have to talk to you." Rowena turned her attention to her friend and tilted her head to the side, concern taking over her face as she took in Helga's distress and discomfort. She stood up and like they had always done, the two friends hooked their arms into each other and moved into a quiet corner in some abandoned room where they could discuss their own matters in private.

"What's wrong?" She hesitated for a moment before Rowena rolled her eyes and gave her that insistent look that her friend knew so well. "Out with it Helga."

"Salazar kissed me." She said and then leaned back against the window where they were sitting. They were looking down on Godric and the other Aurors busying themselves with the children. They all seemed rather amused by Uric and his jellyfish hat.

"He did what? When?"

"A few months ago." It didn't take much for Rowena to put two and two together, she realized very quickly what had put a change in Salazar and what had made Helga so distant from her so suddenly a few months ago.

"This is what's been bothering you hasn't it? Helga why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, well- I don't know Rowena. I'm not married, I've never been kissed. I didn't know what to do."

"Well, did you like it?" Helga was silent for a moment and then she could see the excitement building up in her, her friend could be read like a book to those who knew her. Rowena smiled suddenly. "Really? Salazar Slytherin, a good kisser. Who would have thought."

"You're not angry?"

"Helga, why would I be angry. Unless he forced himself on you, I have nothing to be angry about. He didn't force himself on you did he?"

"No of course not. We had to well find a way to hide or something because the guards were coming, we'd been doing magic."

"And he kissed you?"

"To distract the guard from what we'd really been doing." She sighed and shook her head, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning her forehead against the glass, looking down on Godric as he entertained the children. "And after that we never talked about it. He never even brought it up until this morning, before the attack." Rowena laughed in disbelief, she loved Helga but sometimes it was hard to believe that someone so in tune with other people's emotions and needs could be so oblivious to this emotion.

"Helga, the man is smitten with you. Clearly, ever since your kiss, you've been moping about and avoiding while all the while he's become- different."

"Different? Different how?"

"Different, less cold, unattached. Mind you he's still brooding and quiet but he's less- I dunno Helga I'm not as good at this as you are- I suppose he's less serious."

"Helga! Rowena! Can I get some help?!" Godric boomed from downstairs and smiled up at them, he was still holding the little girl to his chest but now the other children seemed to be clamoring around him. Rowena let out a small giggle at the sight of him and deliberately ignored the look she was getting from Helga.

"Listen Helga, if it makes you happy then you should follow it. Too many of us women are trapped in a marriage without love."

* * *

><p>Helga went back into Salazar's room quietly, treading lightly on the heavy floorboards of his room as she moved to sit on the edge of his bed. He was still asleep, heavily it seemed as he slept on his back, his hands till at his sides where she'd placed them and the cover drawn up to his chest. She moved her hand over his forehead to check his temperature and then placed it over his cheek where she was caught by surprise when he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her roughly and suddenly. She let out a little yelp before realizing that she had startled him, she placed her now free hand on his cheek and whispered as steadily as she could to calm him.<p>

"Salazar, it's just me. It's just Helga."

"Helga. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"I'm sorry I startled you." She moved to get up and leave to let him sleep. "You should get some rest."

"Helga wait-" He moved and got up out of the bed which he really shouldn't be doing, the movement was enough to make her turn around and when she did she found herself blushing and embarrassed. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only his trousers and they were loose and hung low off his hips. She'd never seen a man so nude before in her life, nor had she ever imagined Salazar to look,- like this. He wasn't broad and tall like Godric, but he was toned and clearly strong, every muscle in his body was defined very carefully as if it was sculpted and she hadn't expected it, nor had she expected what it would do to her. That the image was forever burned into her skull like a scar she would never be able to rid herself from. He took hold of her arm roughly and pulled her back to him closer to his chest which caused her to gasp just slightly at the proximity.

She felt like such a fool, she didn't know what to do, where to place her hands, what she should be feeling, if she should push him away or just let him handle her like this. His grey eyes were on her, everyone thought them cool and distant but there was something about his eyes that reached out to her. He may not be as tall as Godric but she still had to tilt her head back to look up at him.

"Salazar I-" She wasn't entirely sure what she could have said, what she thought she was going to say but it didn't come out at all. He didn't even give it a chance. His mouth twitched up at the corner as he gave her the sweetest of smiles, and she wanted to laugh and cry, and scream out the window all at the same time, instead something was telling her to stay very, very still as she smiled back at him and he weaved his fingers into hers and pulled her closer so she was standing flush up against him. Every inch of their bodies touching and he leaned in to place a soft feathery kiss right at the corner of her lips. She had closed her eyes, she didn't know what it was about this very moment, the anticipation and the sheer stillness of the moment that she wished she could keep forever.

He detached his hands from hers only so that he could cup her face, his fingers undoing her hair and entangling themselves with her curls as his lips finally seemed to find hers and she could feel the smile playing on his lips. His kiss was like himself she felt. It was chaste for only a very short period of time before it became more possessive, more passionate, every part of him claiming her as his own, his arms held her tightly to him and his, lips traced every part of her face and neck.

"I'm sorry I waited so long, I wasn't sure if you wanted- if I should-" He was trying to express everything she'd felt over the past few months and she giggled, invoking a more than welcome smile from him.

"Neither did I." She breathed and laughed and his smile grew broader as he pulled her to lay down with him. She rested her head on his shoulder with an ease that surprised herself, it seemed that this little nook was made for her, she seemed to fit so perfectly right there that it shocked her and frightened her a little bit. She hadn't known Salazar for that long, and she worried for just a moment that perhaps she was falling a little too quickly, she wasn't even entirely sure that she was falling. It might be pure physical attraction, but then she changed her mind about that, she hadn't thought of Salazar as handsome until he had kissed her, really until right this very moment. But there was _something _about him that unsettled her, in a good way, she hoped.

"It seems neither of us is very good at this sort of thing." He spoke first and she looked up at him, hoping that he understood her confusion at the moment. "Helga I don't want to- I don't want to hurt you but-"

"You don't know where we stand do you?" She finished the sentence for him, hoping that she wasn't hurting him either. She wanted it to make sense, but the more she thought about it the more confusing it was to her. And Salazar was- well he wasn't who she thought he was. At least when it was just the two of them he seemed a completely different person and she also wasn't sure if that was a good thing. She almost wished she had someone to compare him to, some previous romance that would set the norm but she'd never been in this place before, and neither had Salazar but she didn't want to push him at arm's length either. Being here, in this place, in his arms felt so perfect it made her want to cry and yet it was so unfamiliar that it was terrifying her. She thought she was about to cry for a moment but Salazar seemed to have made up his mind about something because he pulled her to lay on her side and drawing her back into his arms, placing a kiss on her shoulder to hide the tightness that had crept into both their throats. Helga buried her face in his neck and closed her eyes, letting him hold her was the simplest thing she could ask for in this moment.

"We'll sort it out, we have time." She would never have expected to find something soothing about Salazar's voice and yet there was a softness in it that she was sure no one else would ever get to hear.

* * *

><p>"Good work Gryffindor." Elfrida Clagg had appeared it seemed out of thin air, and Godric turned to see the woman beaming at him. "Thaddeus is to be tried as are the other culprits you managed to arrest and they'll be sentenced to Azkaban soon. Godric hid his distaste towards the wizarding prison and its dire circumstances, he nodded at Elfrida and went back to making sure the children were asleep.<p>

"What's going to happen to these children?" Rowena appeared at his side and Elfrida smiled victoriously at her, but Rowena seemed less than impressed. Her face displayed a certain amount of disinterest. Godric couldn't help but notice that Rowena demanded more respect from a room than Elfrida did, or could ever. She had a grace about her that even Elfrida couldn't surpass in all her glory as the Chieftainess of the Wizard's council, with all that she had accomplished Rowena still seemed unimpressed.

"We shall keep them here. They'll be protected by the Wizards' council and taught in our ways so we may cultivate their talents."

"Cultivate. You mean you'll extort them."

"Heavens no, we will monitor their progress and learning so that if they so choose they may join us in the protection of the wizarding world. I'm sure you can all agree that it is best for them to be taught by us. Their parents were killed, and tutors like Gunhilda of Gorsemoor are a rare find Lady Ravenclaw." Godric watched as Rowena's dark eyes narrowed on the woman and he could tell that the woman had hit a sore point she tilted her chin upwards.

"Gunhilda of Gorsemoor taught us to be independent. She taught us to lead and to hold strong to our convictions. If you-"

"Be very careful what you say next Lady Ravenclaw. You wouldn't want your own convictions to get you into trouble like so many witches before you." Godric frowned now at the woman he had once considered a true friend. Elfrida had accomplished a great deal in her lifetime but her loyalty was with the Wizard's council only and he was suddenly realizing that where there were politics there could be no rational discussion over where these children were safe. He certainly didn't believe that pulling them from one mad idealist to then put them in the hands of others was not the best thing for them.

"That sounded an awful lot like a threat Elfrida."

"Not a threat Godric. If I were threatening you, you would know it. These children have no home, no parents, no people to influence their ideals. We can't risk them growing up and conforming to the wrong standards."

"So you're going to make sure they conform to _your _standards?" Rowena's anger was growing, Godric could see it happening and he could understand her anger but he didn't think he'd ever seen her so incensed at anything or anyone, in fact he couldn't really imagine her infuriated.

"Now is not the time to discuss this Rowena."

"There's nothing to discuss Godric, and you're mistaken if you believe that. Do not forget that you work for the Wizards' Council, these children now fall under the protection of our ministry." With that it seemed Elfrida had ended the discussion as she turned and walked away, disappearing into the dark halls of the ministry and Rowena stood staring after her, her dark eyes fuming with a fire Godric hadn't yet seen in her.

"Godric that woman is as bad as Thaddeus Thurkell."

"Rowena-" She turned on him, all her anger following her gaze and now directed at him.

"No Godric, I don't care what you say in her defense. She is going to rear these children to be her minions, to believe what she believes, to defend the policies of the Wizards' Council regardless of how wrong they may be. You can't just stand there and tell me that it's right. She may have accomplished a great deal, she may be a great defender of Beings and Creatures in our realm but this is-"

"Horseshit, I know. But what do you expect me to do?"

"Get these children out of here." She was bound and determined to defy Elfrida and though Godric agreed that Elfrida was out of line he didn't think that outright protesting her decisions would do anyone any good.

"And take them where? Defying the Wizards' Council would make us their enemy. Would make these children a threat to them."

"Then so be it. They at least deserve a fighting chance, deserve the opportunity to make their own decisions instead of being sculpted into puppets for the Council!" She was beginning to raise her voice and Godric pulled her by her wrist into one of the small office rooms away from the children and their sensitive sleeping ears.

"What you're suggesting is dangerous Rowena. The Council will not take kindly to us intervening on their matters."

"It isn't their matter, it needs to be taken out of their hands. They won't act on us, not all of us. Godric we are some of the most powerful and influential witches and wizards of our age. To act against us would be to cause a civil war among the wizarding world and they can't afford it."

"We need to discuss this with the others first. And we need to have a plan in place before we act too rashly. You of all people understand this."

"Of course I understand that. But Godric-"

"I know Rowena, don't worry. You don't honestly think I would let them get away with this do you?" She looked up at him, her dark eyes searching his green ones and finding something in it that he couldn't fathom. He didn't know what her eyes saw, they were deep and searching and always challenging and somehow she seemed to always look through him and find something there that settled her conscience. Knowing that whatever she was looking for, she found it somehow brought him at ease to. Knowing that a woman as formidable as Rowena Ravenclaw thought she could place her trust in him brought him some kind of solace.

* * *

><p>"Ravenclaw Castle, do you really think that's a good idea?" Salazar was looking at Godric, his intent grey eyes calculating as he considered all his options. He was watching his friend as he paced the room up and down considering everything that had happened, that was going to happen.<p>

"Scotland is far enough from the Wizards' Council, not to mention that Ravenclaw Castle is well protected by all the spells and charms that Rowena placed around it. The children would be safe there, at least for the time-being."

"Well they can't stay there forever. Rowena's husband will almost certainly disapprove of over a dozen children staying on his estate. And with all of them to display certain power at some point he's bound to find out what's going on sooner or later. And that means Rowena is putting herself under unnecessary risk." Godric moved to sit down opposite Salazar at the large meeting table. Rubbing his jaw and shaking his head in frustration.

"There's no talking her out of it."

"Perhaps we don't need to."

"What would you suggest Salazar? I can see your mind reeling with possibilities already."

"We'll all be forced to leave the service of the Wizards' Council once the children are removed."

"Don't sound so upset friend." Salazar smiled at the fact that Godric knew him well-enough to know that he could care less for the wishes of the Wizards' Council.

"We can't risk them using one of us against the others. Perhaps we should use that to our advantage. Instead of splitting up we stay together."

"We'll make ourselves an enemy."

"Not if we provide the Council with some kind of middle ground."

"What are you suggesting?"

"A school."

"With us running it? You've lost your mind. The Council will never allow for it."

"They'll be forced to. They couldn't possibly declare us an enemy if every witch's child is attending our school."

"No, they would isolate themselves. It's not a bad idea mind you Salazar, but it's an enormous undertaking. The school would have to be the size of a castle, we would need enough grounds and living space for all the children and staff."

"Miss Clagg wouldn't just let us have it either. She would put restrictions on the school." Godric shrugged at that.

"She'll make us jump through hoops, but let her try. There is no law against building a school of witchcraft and wizardry, and if we own the property then she would have no authority on the premises really."

"Not unless there were any severe crimes."

"A safe place for young witches and wizards to learn magic. How has no one thought of this before?"

"I'm certain people must have thought the undertaking quite impossible."

"Impossible?! Hah, we do magic. Merlin's beard, nothing is impossible, not for the four of us eh!" Godric winked at his friend and Salazar suddenly felt himself to be different. So much had changed in him from the day that they had stopped him from killing his father. He was preparing for something that surely couldn't be considered lightly, it would be remembered. What they were about to do, defy the Wizards' Council and found a school for witches and wizards was something he could never have imagined. Godric was right that nothing was impossible to them anymore. It was invigorating and strange for him to be surrounded by so much light when all he'd known for the longest time was darkness.

"I see you two have come up with something." Rowena came floating into the room the way she always did, she was wearing a deep blue gown that brought out the darkness in her hair and eyes. Her silver jewelry delicately accentuating parts of her body, she was followed in by Helga who today was wearing yellow and black damask gown that was intricate and tightly fitted. Her hair, which was usually tied carefully into some hood, was loose today and her auburn curls fell carelessly down her shoulders. She turned and smiled brightly at him, and Salazar quickly turned his gaze back to Rowena and Godric, realizing that he had been staring at her. Out of all of them she brought the most light in the room, and he could hardly comprehend how she could be the least bit interested in him.

"Salazar has given us hope at last it seems."

"Oh really? What's your plan Salazar?" Rowena sat down next to Godric and Helga sat down opposite her next to Salazar.

"A school."

"A school?" Helga and Rowena both looked at him curiously and repeated the word in unison.

"A school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With the four of us as founders."

"Well, that ought to be interesting." Rowena raised her eyebrows and gave Salazar a little approving nod. More than he'd ever expected to receive from her.

"Provided we don't kill each other in the process of building said school." Helga giggled, causing all of them to join in laughter before they began quietly and carefully detailing their plans for something that had never been done before.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note: <strong>Sooo, haha end of chapter three... I apologize for the long break in between chapters, it took me awhile to get back into this story, and the fact is actually, that with summer being so beautiful I've barely been inside. I know, I know, that's good for me but not so good for my open fanfics. And there are a few... I apologize. But now that the fall has returned I am picking up where I left off. Mind you I scrapped this entire chapter and started from nothing again because I didn't like the flow of it. And also, this chapter is much much much longer than the other two. This is probably how it's going to be from now on. Just a minor warning. _

_Just a clarification btw. This story, is NOT set in the correct timeline, it actually isn't really set in any timeline. I'm trying to give very information as to the clothing, or other 'muggle' characters that would hint at the actual time that this is taking place. The founders were said to have founded Hogwarts somewher in the tenth century, HOWEVER. I am setting it a little bit later in time, to include other characters such as Hengist, Merwyn and Wendelin and of course Uric the Odball. _

_Please don't be upset at the fact that I've pulled the characters out of their timelines. I just wanted some fun supporting characters to play with and why create original ones when Jk Rowling has some fantastic ones, just waiting to be used... Uric was not a fortune-teller, according to J.K. Rowling he never really did anything of great importance and yet he is covered in their History class. _

_For those of you that don't ship Salazar and Helga, I apologize, I've been following this thing on tumblr and on deviantart, and I can't help it, after all the fantastic art, and the lovely poems and Oneshots of these characters. I kind of like them together... _

_Anyway I hope you enjoyed this. If you have any questions please post it in your reviews or send me a msg. _

_Peace and Love to you all!_

_K._


	4. Mobiliarbus

**_Author's note: _**_I'm going to give everyone a head's up before you continue reading this story, keep in mind that it is rated M for a reason. And the reason isn't all smutty goodness... though that is included as well ;)_

_This chapter was so long that I had to divide it in two parts because it was just a drag to edit and upload. So you're kind of getting a two for one here, I hope you enjoy this chapter and chapter 5... _

* * *

><p>"I'm worried about her Godric. She's up in Scotland all by herself with that ruddy no-good husband of hers. And all those children."<p>

"She won't let any harm come to the children." Salazar answered instead of Godric and Helga huffed at his response. They didn't know Rowena the way she did. They didn't know what Rowena's husband was like.

"I'm not worried about the children, I'm worried about her."

"We'll be joining her soon enough. She'll be alright for another week or so." Godric was frowning, clearly he didn't believe his own reassurances but he was trying to calm Helga and she wasn't entirely sure if she appreciated it. She didn't think he understood what it meant for Rowena to go to Scotland with all those children in tow. Magic or not, she was his wife and that meant she had to be dutiful towards him. He was a muggle which meant that she couldn't use magic on him either. The mere memory of the man was enough to make Helga angry again. The man had been coarse and unrefined and despite his obvious ill-temper, Rowena had always made light of it. Helga knew it was to spare her, but she sometimes wished that Rowena would be less rational about everything.

"Do you really think her in that much danger?" Salazar asked her when they were alone at the dinner table.

"You haven't met her husband. The man is a no-good muggle brute."

"Why would a witch ever marry a muggle?"

"Salazar. Witch, or not, we are still women, we are forced to obey our parents. Her father made the match for her."

"But her father's a wizard?"

"Yes but-"

"So why marry your daughter to a muggle? Surely he wouldn't want her to suppress her power for the sake of a muggle man. And not to mention they risk having squibs for children."

"Salazar!" Helga exclaimed, pushing back her food and staring at him. His grey eyes were very serious and intent as he was lost in thought about the entirety of the situation. "Just because a witch marries a wizard does _not _mean that they will have children with even an ounce of magic in them. You should take care of what you say Salazar, some of the bloodlines have become so set on their purist ways that an entire generation could suffer under the consequences of too much inbreeding. Would you have us be like the muggle royalty? One cousin marrying another until there are none left who can function enough brainpower to even master the effects of magic?"

"I've upset you. Forgive me. I merely meant that surely her father couldn't have wished such a husband on her."

"Her father had his eyes set on power, and wealth. A woman is only a pawn in men's schemes." She shrugged and set down her goblet of wine getting up to go to bed. This topic of conversation had done nothing to soothe her. She couldn't describe the feeling she had that something was very wrong. That Rowena was walking right into trouble. As she began to leave Salazar took hold of her wrist and pulled her back just a little so she could look at him where he sat.

"Not Rowena, and surely not you. You two are the most powerful and intelligent witches I have ever met. I have no doubt that your destinies hang completely loose from any man lucky enough to be in your lives." She couldn't help but smile at that. Completely unsure of what she might say or what she was supposed to do in these situations she let him kiss her hand and then left the dining hall. Hoping and praying that Rowena knew what she was getting into.

* * *

><p>Ravenclaw castle was cold and dark, just as she remembered it. Only it didn't seem as large as it once had. Imposing and terrifying when she had just been married off to the man who owned the estate.<p>

"My Lady Ravenclaw, we weren't expecting you."

"Yes, I know Joan. Is the Lord Ravenclaw-"

"No milady he is visiting the lord Bothwell we do not know when he is to return." Rowena knew better than to breathe a sigh of relief instead she placed her hands on her hips and turned to the older woman who had been loyal to her ever since she'd first come to the castle.

"Very well then, I need you to prepare rooms in the servants quarters for these children. I want you to keep them out of sight as best you can. Give them a good meal and have them all washed, and given fresh clothing."

"Milady-"

"Do as I say Joan." She knew to be assertive and confident in front of her serving staff, every ounce of authority would disappear if her husband ever came back to the castle and she had to admit her own fear of him was impressive, but not enough to deter her from what had to be done. Her husband, brute though he may be, would not lay a hand on the children, but his wife might fare differently.

* * *

><p>The summer was hot and booming with life in a way it never had been before. Rowena took great pride in the way the castle had been turned upside-down in a matter of days. Light had overtaken Scotland for the summer, it was rare to be surrounded by all the valleys and marshes and not be trapped in a constant downpour of rain and so Rowena took advantage of it while she could. The children were constantly laughing and singing and playing around the grounds and Rowena would walk around teaching them small things about the surrounding wildlife, though she didn't know the earth half as well as Helga did. She taught those who didn't already know how to read, and they entertained her immensely by putting on plays and mimes for her.<p>

She was sitting outside in the grass, reading while they ran around the grounds chasing each other, or playing hide and seek, and she found herself surprised at her own elation at having them so near her. The innocence that surrounded even the older ones, despite everything they had gone through shocked her and gave her immense pleasure. She waited for news from Helga or Godric for a few days after she had sent her letter describing her luck at being here when her husband was gone, only to find that her luck was to run out though she had enjoyed almost the entire month of June without him.

She wasn't entirely shocked at him appearing so suddenly, but the way he came into the dining hall, smiling and booming and proud of some victory or other. She had thought for a moment that he was drunk but he walked straight through the hall past all the children and pulled her up out of her chair.

"Hello wife!" He kissed her, his lips chapped and his breath foul, she forced herself not to turn away but she couldn't completely hide her distaste at him.

"Husband." She breathed coolly and his dark eyes were cold and hardened and if she had thought for a moment that he was going to be civil she had been mistaken.

"Tell me where did you find all these lost pups." He smiled at her roughly and sat down at the head of the table to her left.

"They were put under our protection by the King. They won't be here for very long, we are looking for more permanent housing for them."

"Well, imagine my surprise, receiving a letter from the lord Godric Gryffindor that you were charged with protecting these pups by order of the King. And then to receive another letter from my master of horse, stating that you had returned home, with all these runts."

"My Lord-" he held up a hand to stop her and she felt like cursing him for interrupting her, for being so condescending. She hated him for this, for his appearance of good humour and happiness, she almost wished he would have come in angry and bellowing out orders the way she knew him to.

"Forgive me milady- these orphans. Have you all eaten?!" He looked out over the table and Rowena was relieved to find that they all had already. The children had the good sense to say 'yes milord' quietly their eyes carefully cast downward, there were only a few who kept their chins high and their eyes blazing back at her husband. She had to commend them for their courage but it would do them no good in this house. "Alright then, off to bed with yeh- Go on!"

Rowena nodded that they obey him and they all stood simultaneously, bowing and curtseying towards him as if they had practised the movement before leaving the table. There were a few of them who had been disrespectful, giving her husband only the slightest of nods as if a man of his station hardly deserved even that. "I will speak with you later wife."

With that she was excused, she knew it to be a dangerous thing, to defy him and though she could hardly say for any human being on this earth she hated them, it was true for her husband.

* * *

><p>She knew she was in trouble, knew she had overstepped herself when the next night he had sent them all to their rooms before they'd eaten and she had food brought to them. No child should ever have to starve and he was fickle, one night making it seem as if everything was alright. From one second to the next her husband's mind changed on a whim and the world was forced to shift under it.<p>

"You disapprove milady?" He turned his dark eyes on her at last again and she met them with the same cold calculating stare that he had sent towards her previously.

"They're only children."

"In my house. Running around on _my _land. Eating _my _food! I will treat them however I see fit!"

"They are wards of the King of England. You should not mistreat them!" He stood up and leaned over her chair encroaching onto her menacingly.

"You would presume to tell me how I should treat them?! You overstep yourself milady! You are my wife, you will do as I say." She stood up then, her own dark eyes burning against his cold unmoving stare. He was like this castle, cold, unmoving and dark.

"I will do no such thing! You have no authority over those children, they were placed under my care and I will not see them starve!" His hand came across her face swiftly, before she had a chance even to see it coming, her cheek stung from the impact where his ring had struck her just below her eye. Her eyes were burning, tears ready to fall, but she blinked them away, her anger filling her at his impertinence. "You bastard! How dare you?!"

"You don't seem to understand do you Lady Ravenclaw. You carry my name, you wear my ring. You are wed to _me_. You _belong_ to me. I may do with you as I see fit." He hissed at her, his voice low and uncaring and filled with a hatred for her she had been unaware of until now. He struck her again, harder this time, forcing her to fall. He picked her up by her elbow and threw her into his rooms. The very fact that she fought him seemed to please him, but Rowena couldn't stop fighting. She hit him and scratched him and uttered every curse that she could think of but he simply laughed and shoved her, holding her down until she had no choice but to give into him.

* * *

><p>The castle was quiet now, the children very rarely came out of their rooms now they hid away and were silent. It was as if they could feel her husband's presence, his looming darkness as it reigned over the castle and drowned them in a darkness that they couldn't shake. Rowena had written to Helga already, a short note to tell her that her husband had received Godric's letter and had now returned to the castle to watch over them all.<p>

She sat on her horse, the grey mare that had been a wedding gift from her father, her terrifying wedding felt like an eternity ago and yet very little time had passed. And nothing had changed. Her husband remained a brute, cold and unmoving like the castles that he owned. She ignored the aches in her body as she rode far over the hills and valleys, she wasn't entirely sure where she was going but this was her only escape. Whenever she was in the presence of her husband she found herself escaping from him. Stealing a few hours in the day to go out hawking and riding. Her hawk flew high over her head, most ladies would have a hawker nearby but she had formed the habit of letting him fly where he wished, he always returned to her, usually carrying something with him, a white-tailed rabbit, or even a quail. She carried on through the woods, her horse slowly but steadily growing impatient to go faster. She waited until she was at the top of the hill looking down on the Black Lake. When she reached the top of the hill she looked out over the lake, ruins stood at the other side of the lake, she knew the place to be magical. She'd wandered through it before when she'd been lonely, when she'd first been married to her neanderthal of a husband. The hawk cried out over her head as he swooped down over the lake and flew further out towards the ruins and then circled round, having seen the dark mass that lingered in the lake. She'd heard of a giant squid, and mermaids living in the waters but she'd never considered this part of the forest, this part of Scotland stood empty, forgotten, the Forbidden Forest was so riddled with magical creatures and their power that muggles had long stopped coming here.

Rowena took a good long look at the ruins of some forgotten castle. Claiming the land wouldn't be very difficult, Godric was in a good position with the muggle King and with the Wizard's Council to acquire it for them. Rebuilding it and surrounding it with charms and protection was no mean feat, but the magic that lingered in the air and surrounded the forest would grant it an enormous amount of cover.

Rowena smiled and giggled, not realizing that she'd done it out loud. Her horse perked her ears in different directions, trying to determine what the sound meant and Rowena laughed louder turning her mare around and whistling in a high pitch that summoned her hawk to follow her as she raced back down the hill and towards her husband's castle. She'd all but forgotten the misery that waited there for her but she could hardly care.

* * *

><p>"Godric, wake up! Wake up!" Godric's bed was shaking and he sat up, wand at the ready as he was forced into waking.<p>

"What's wrong? Are we under attack?!" Helga giggled suddenly and Godric felt as if he were ten years old again, certainly she hadn't woken him up like that since they were little.

"I've had a letter from Rowena! She's found ruins in Scotland."

"Ruins?" Godric grumbled wishing he could crawl back under his covers. He put his head back down on his pillow and closed his eyes against the brightness that was always Helga.

"Yes Godric, ruins in the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by magic and the Black Lake.

"Helga, don't get your hopes up. We still have to acquire the ruins, and all that without setting off any bells with the Wizard's council. They've been keeping eyes on us ever since the children went _missing._"

"Good heavens Godric, since when were you such a pessimist? This is good news! Rowena wouldn't have written to me about it if she didn't think it possible." Godric sat up in his bed and looked at his old friend. Her hair was a mess and she'd clearly come running through the halls in her nightshift, he shook his head at her and rolled his eyes in defeat.

"How is she?"

"She's fine, or at least that's what she says."

"You don't believe her?"

"Do I believe that her husband returned home and has no objection to a flock of children staying in his castle, and then proceed to be completely civil about the entire thing? No, absolutely not. You've never met the man Godric, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Neither would Rowena but she lies about it to keep me from worrying."

"But you worry anyway. So what's the point in lying about it?"

"You don't know her as well as I do, she's a proud woman. And she's stubborn, she's always believed, since the very beginning that he was her problem to deal with and no one else's." Godric frowned at that, the thought that there was anything on this earth that could best Rowena was almost unimaginable. She was smart and much stronger than she looked, but that being said she was cornered here. She was married to a man whom she couldn't touch by law, the very thought of her not being able to defend herself angered Godric. He frowned harshly before checking himself and turning back to Helga.

"Godric-"

"Helga."

"we have work to do." His old friend smiled broadly at him, mischief gleaming in her eyes and he smiled back at her thinking of lay waiting on the path ahead. Blood, sweat and tears undoubtedly but Godric had a feeling that it would be worth it. If they could stay the course.

* * *

><p>"You look concerned." Salazar had noticed it when they left London. They'd apparated all the way to Wales where the House of Gryffindor stood and they left Godric to attend to some plans while Helga and Salazar continued on towards Scotland. They had stopped at a small inn in North Sunderland to get a bite to eat, Salazar calculated a few more hours before they reached Ravenclaw castle.<p>

"I haven't received word from Rowena since before we left, and she knew we would be at Godric's house."

"Don't you think she'd be busy with preparations for us and the castle?" Salazar could tell that something was bothering her, but as to what he could do to make her feel better, he was quite clueless. He wasn't good at this sort of thing.

"It's not like her."

"We'll be there soon enough." He hoped that would be somewhat comforting even though he could tell it wasn't at all really. Helga ate very little, which told him that something must be wrong. Helga was a small woman but she enjoyed good food, and something had to be terribly wrong for her to pass up a good meal like this. Salazar took it as a sign that they should keep moving and instead of pressing her to eat he paid the moment she said she'd had enough and stood up from the table. The sooner they got to Ravenclaw castle, the sooner she'd be reassured that Rowena was alright.

Both she and Godric had been in a sour mood ever since lady Ravenclaw had left, he could tell that it was out of worry for her well-being that they were discomforted at the thought. Godric's wish was to protect her, Salazar could tell that much. He was quiet but insightful, and it didn't take much to recognize the subtle connections that had grown between Rowena and Godric.

* * *

><p>Salazar hated being wrong. He knew the moment they arrived at Ravenclaw castle that something wasn't right. The place was ominously dark, the large stone walls of the castle that looked more like a fortress was dark and cold and overbearingly quiet. Helga turned her head towards him and gave him a disconcerting look before pulling her hood tighter to her. It was unnaturally cold for August, even for Scotland, the sky was grey and it looked like a storm was looming but there was no rain, not even a lick of wind dared to move past the castle it seemed.<p>

"My Lady Hufflepuff?" A woman appeared to the side of the stables and they both turned to look at her, she was a simple handmaiden dressed in a dark brown and green as she motioned for them to come closer.

"Is Lady Ravenclaw not here?"

"Yes she is my Lady but my Lord Ravenclaw is preparing to leave and she wishes you go unnoticed until then." Salazar frowned and turned to look up at the dark narrow windows of the castle. His hatred for this muggle growing steadily if even Rowena was afraid of him.

"Very well. Should we leave and come back later? There was an inn up the road-"

"No, no, come in. You can eat something in the kitchen. If you don't mind my Lady?"

"Of course we don't mind." Helga reached behind her and took Salazar's hand who pulled his scowl away from the castle windows and gave the woman a grateful nod as they moved into the kitchen entrance.

Helga barely touched her food, again. She was plagued by thoughts of what was happening to Rowena this entire time. It was obviously much worse than it had ever been. Her husband had never been kind to her, but he'd always thought her beautiful, and for that he had always permitted her just the slightest bit of freedom but now she had flat-out disobeyed him and clearly something was very wrong here. Helga could almost feel it seeping from the walls, the only relief she felt was when the children had all come bursting into the kitchens to eat. Four long tables had been lined up and Helga had wondered how many people Rowena really kept on staff when she realized how many children were really here. The kitchen was suddenly riddled with noise and laughter and it seemed to make the castle brighter, but clearly this brightness and light had been contained to one side of the castle. At the very least the children were happy, well-fed, and healthy.

Helga spent most of the time with the cook, helping her to serve the children, she'd placed an apron over her long heavy riding gown and started serving and helping the cook, adding spices and herbs that changed the flavour and surprised the older woman who spent most of the time laughing and shouting at the children to be quiet. It was a few hours before the maid, Joan came back down and found her out in between a game of cards with the children.

"My Lady Ravenclaw asks if you would come to her rooms Lady Hufflepuff. Lord Slytherin, Albert will show you to your rooms whenever you are ready." She nodded at a footman who smiled and gave a short respectful bow towards Salazar who looked slightly shocked at being referred to as Lord. Helga stood up quickly and followed Joan through the servant's quarters and up a winding staircase that seemed to break off in different areas of the castle.

When they finally reached Rowena's rooms Helga nodded that Joan could leave, knowing well-enough that Rowena would want to speak silently and privately. She hadn't expected to find Rowena standing in the middle of the room the way she was. Her long blue gown was disheveled and worn and she gave her old friend a weary smile that was only half-hearted. Helga instantly closed the door behind her and moved closer to her friend, taking her face in her hands and turning her from one side to the other to inspect the damage. A dark bruise had already formed at her hairline on the left side where her husband had clearly used the back of his hand and struck her with a ring. The bruise on her eye was only just beginning to form.

She narrowed her eyes at her old friend before sighing and putting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrows.

"Well that's nothing a little garden Thyme can't clear up." Rowena smiled in relief and Helga smiled back reassuringly, realizing quickly that it would take more than a bit of garden Thyme for Rowena to heal completely.

* * *

><p>Rowena hadn't known what Helga would think, and though in the past she wouldn't have cared so much, things were different now. Her friendship with Helga had grown into more of a sisterhood, and the last year or so that had become even more evident than ever. Though she'd always felt like the older sister with Helga it didn't change the fact that she felt she needed to explain herself to Helga, especially about this. What was worse, she didn't know how to explain any of this. She would never allow another woman to suffer under this kind of abuse and yet she was forcing herself to endure it. Helga said nothing on the subject, in fact she was surprisingly quiet and supportive as she had Joan draw her a bath with Garden Thyme in it and Helga made her some ointment to put on the bruises on her face.<p>

"Ugh Helga, this stuff smells horrible." Rowena couldn't help but turn up her nose, the stuff on her face smelt a great deal like onions in comparison to the soothing scent of the thyme in her bath.

"Stop complaining. The Bruisewort Balm works quickly and effectively."

"I've never heard of Bruisewort Balm before."

"Of course you haven't, I'm the only one who knows how to make it."

"You're inventing potions now?" Rowena raised her eyebrows at her friend as Helga forced her to sit up straighter and rubbed the balm on some of the bruises on her arms and ribs.

"Perhaps some of your cleverness has rubbed off on me." Helga giggled, making Rowena smile and feel comforted that her friend hadn't changed that much. Her sweetness and innocence was still there.

"You were never lacking in cleverness Helga." Rowena noted, it was true Helga was constantly underestimated. And none so much as by herself but she'd never been lacking in wit or intelligence, Rowena always thought it was merely a difference in disciplines. Helga's knowledge of herbs and the earth and the creatures that resided on it was immense, Rowena knew it to outpass hers, her focus of her intelligence went into what she loved and she could hardly blame her for that. People knew her for her intelligence and her wit but really it all stemmed from her love for books and new knowledge and puzzles. Rowena loved puzzles, and riddles.

"There now. Leave it on for awhile and then you should have another bath with some Juniper oil in the tub instead of garden thyme. It'll calm you and wash away the smell of this stuff." Helga got up and wiped her hands on her apron before smiling genuinely at her friend and putting her things away.

Rowena had scrubbed herself clean in the Juniper bath, she'd had Joan bring in buckets of scalding hot water and continued scrubbing herself until she finally felt like his marks were off her body. It wasn't just the bruises, though she was happy that the ones on her face at least had faded to almost nothing now, it was his scent. The memory of him lingering all over her body that made her skin crawl, it made her almost physically sick.

Helga had her things brought into Rowena's rooms and the two of them began getting ready for dinner, dresses and hair brushes were soon flying through the room like nothing had changed since they were little girls and they'd first learned how to use magic. There were little pots with powders and bottles of different perfumes and ointments going from one hand to the other and then back up into the air where everything twirled around them as they moved around the room. Rowena turned to look at her friend who was now giggling as two dresses were prancing before her hoping to be picked. She envied Helga this, her innocence, her sheer, and simple happiness that she lived with from one day to the next. Rowena couldn't remember when she'd lost that, perhaps she'd never really had it. She'd always been a serious child and she'd always had her head in books, first it was to escape from the life outside of them but then it had changed. She had quickly realized that what was contained within those books would keep her alive, would help her excel and perhaps one day really escape.

"Rowena what's wrong?" Rowena turned her head to find that Helga had chosen a pale rose coloured gown with different roses and flowers embroidered in the skirt and the sleeves, the bodice was had a delicate damask pattern that was sewn in with gold-thread and detailed with pearls. Her long curling auburn hair was falling neatly down her back and Rowena smiled at her. It wasn't often that Helga didn't look a disheveled mess from being in her gardens or out riding or doing some other activity that kept her covered in mud.

"Blue or purple?" Rowena asked, forcing herself to keep her mind off what she was really thinking. In truth she didn't have to ask Helga to keep all this between the two of them. She knew Helga wouldn't tell a soul, not even Godric.

"Purple for a change." Helga smiled and the blue gown fell back into her trunk while the purple one twirled once before undoing it's own ribbons and waiting for Rowena to step into it.

* * *

><p>Salazar had to admit it was better than he expected. The ruins weren't nearly as horrid as he'd thought, the structures itself was still quite sound. Walking through them, past stones that were nearly as tall as him and five times his width he could hardly imagine what it was that had torn it down in the first place. Some of the stones were blackened as if something had scorched them, which made him imagine fires or perhaps an ambush, but he couldn't imagine any human weapons having the capability to bring down a castle like this.<p>

"Dragons." Rowena muttered and Salazar turned his head.

"You don't say?"

"I don't think anything else would have been able to bring down a castle like this."

"Do you think they'll come back?"

"Muggles don't know how to defend against dragons. The correct incantations could withstand a dragon's fire but I doubt they would come back. Most of the dragons have moved South or East, the last ones I heard of in this part of the world were in Wales."

"Dragons." Salazar mused trying very hard to imagine what one would look like.

"There are several different species." Rowena fixed one of her all-knowing smiles on him. He had learned very quickly that he and Rowena were alike in mind. They thought the same way, extremely rational. He had turned to books and his education for means of survival whereas she had done so out of a love for knowledge, but it didn't change their brilliance. It wasn't difficult for Salazar to recognize his equal in her, the two of them had slowly come to a respectful understanding of one another, even if they differed in opinions more often than not. "Helga has a multitude of texts on the subject. She has a strange fascination with them if you ask me. She used to dream of keeping one as a pet."

"A dragon as a pet?"

"Can you imagine how useful?!" Helga suddenly piped in from somewhere behind them and Rowena shook her head while Helga simply giggled at her response. "Are you two ready?"

"Of course we are." Rowena exclaimed "I'm going to get a start on the outer walls, and the staircases if I get a chance."

"The dungeons and underground should be fortified so that's where I'll be."

"I'm going to start on the main hall, and the kitchens. Shall we meet back here around noon." The three of them nodded in agreement and then separated, as Salazar focused on mending the cracks in foundations and smaller tasks in the dungeons he could hear the echoing voices of Rowena and Helga. _Mobiliarbus, Engorgio _and _Reducio _could be heard all around him, reverberating off the walls as he could hear the deafening drip, drip, drip of water. He could hear something else too, a whispering of some sort, softer than the echoes of Rowena and Helga's voices but louder than the dripping, and it moved.

Salazar stopped what he was doing and listened more carefully. Trying to hear what the whisper was saying, or if it even was a whisper. Helga had told him that these parts were riddled with magical creatures, but that being said it could just be the wind. He turned his head and then he heard it most assuredly.

"Not humans. Witchesss." Salazar frowned at that, not really knowing what to think. He followed the sound. "Noissy, curious withcesss." The sound was languid and quiet and somewhat disturbing though Salazar couldn't explain why he thought it sounded familiar. He followed the sound, could hear it through the walls as it travelled faster and faster. It brought him out of the dungeons and into the light where Rowena and Helga were working together now. The outer wall was almost finished, and he would have almost forgotten about the voice if he hadn't heard it again. "Ssstop them we muust." He turned his head and saw it moving quietly and swiftly towards Rowena's ankles.

"Rowena!" He called out to her and she turned to look at him, a focused look still on her face as she didn't realize what was happening and she hadn't seen the offending creature. It brought it's head up and hissed violently, though Salazar heard the words again. "Sssstop them. We ssshaall."

"Immobulus!" Salazar shouted before the thing could get any further, Rowena's dark eyes widened at him and Helga was calling for him to stop but they hadn't seen the thing. It stopped dead in it's tracks and froze on the spot where Rowena finally looked down.

"Salazar! How did you-?!"

"Merlin's beard that thing is huge! How could we not have seen it?!" Helga exclaimed as they moved closer to the snake. It was at least two meters long and fairly thick set.

"How did _you _see it Salazar?" Rowena tore her eyes from the snake and brought them up to meet Salazar's, she was holding her hand to her stomach in shock but she quickly dropped it as she regained herself.

"I didn't, I heard it."

"You what?"

"It was speaking. Didn't you hear?" Salazar was growing slightly impatient. Helga was looking at him as if he were being ridiculous and Rowena was looking at him the way she did at another curious subject.

"No, Salazar-" Helga started but Rowena interrupted her.

"Salazar, you mean to say you could hear what it said?"

"Yes, couldn't you?"

"Speaking to serpents is a rare gift Salazar. Not many share it and fewer have heard of it's existence." Salazar frowned at her, not knowing what to say in response to that.

"You can speak to snakes?" Helga's eyebrows shot up and she looked at him the same as she always had, with an inordinate amount of curiosity in her eyes, as if she wanted more than anything to understand him. The look he received from Rowena reminded him too much of when they had first met, when she had seriously disliked him and distrusted him. She knew something about this, about what it meant to understand serpents and yet she wouldn't say anything.

It bothered him that she was like this, so suspicious, so careful, and calculating it made him constantly wonder whether she kept silent for the sake of their friendship, or to keep him safe, or because she knew that knowledge was power and she still didn't trust him enough to relinquish it. Even when it was regarding his own abilities.

* * *

><p>Godric rode up to the castle as quietly as possible, it was late and the stars were shining brightly over his head. The forest had hidden them well enough for most of his journey through the hills and valleys of Scotland. Getting to the castle on horseback had taken him so much longer than he'd expected, he wasn't used to being dependent on his horse unless he was travelling with muggles. But considering the fact that they were going to be here for awhile he'd had to bring supplies and that meant a train of his people, at least one of which he was certain was reporting back to the Wizard's council.<p>

Ravenclaw castle, the place was depressing. It was no small wonder to him now that Helga had been so worried about her friend. The dark looming stones shone in the moonlight but held none of it's luminescence. The only light came from some of the narrow windows, high up in the towers where candlelight was burning. Godric looked up to see her sitting there, quietly by the candlelight, her head knelt down into one of her books. Her long dark hair falling down one side of her face while the other was lit up by the light of the moon. Her small slender hand holding the book perched carefully on her lap while she held the next page between her long fingers in anticipation of turning it already. Her eyelashes fluttered softly and subtly as she took in the words in her books.

Someone called her name, causing her gaze to be torn from her book as she turned her head towards somewhere inside the room and her long neck was exposed to him. She got up then, leaving the book behind on the windowsill and disappearing from his sight. It was a good thing too or he would have kept staring.

He dismounted from his horse and moved into the castle where he was met by Helga who was coming down the stairs and into the main hall. He had half expected her to come running down the rest of the steps and tumble into a hug but instead she stood there smiling at him. She was wearing a rose coloured gown, embroidered carefully with plants and flowers, she looked like a blossom in between this dark and gloomy castle. Her auburn hair cascading down her back as she moved down the rest of the steps and came to stand before him. She remained on the steps as he moved the rest of the way and he caught her in a warm embrace, the two of them had never been shy of physically displaying their affection for one another.

"I'm glad you're finally here." Helga giggled as his embrace lifted her off the last steps.

"So am I. You need to tell me everything I've missed." He smiled and Helga's eyes quickly darted away and back at him for a moment. Enough for him to know that she was hiding something from him and he couldn't help but wonder what it was. What was so important or horrible that she would keep it from him, her best friend.

* * *

><p>Godric wasn't at all certain what had gone on during his absence but he was of a mind to change it nonetheless. He knew now that Salazar could speak to serpents, an oddity most certainly but not nearly enough to make Godric wonder about his friend. He knew the man well-enough to know that his loyalty was with them, his friends. It was simply an anomaly and who was he to judge of something like that? It wasn't as if any of them were normal, each of them strangely and almost obsessively interested in their own things. Rowena and her books, Helga and her plants, and Godric, well he had a slightly abnormal love for physical activity, he found it difficult to calm his mind if he wasn't out doing something that challenged him.<p>

Not that any of them seemed to mind, they all had their quirks that worked to their benefits, it helped them as they stood together each day and focused on the rebuilding of this new castle. Their school. Godric hadn't expected it to be like this, he didn't know what he would think upon arrival but when he looked at the building that had already been done, at how the stones were taking form and the castle was being built taller and better than it had been before, he felt a certain pride in it. The sheer grandness of it, as it stood high upon huge rocks overlooking the lake, it's sloping grounds leading down into the Forest, flowerbeds and growing vegetable patches bringing life and colour to it. The greenhouses were almost finished, Salazar and Rowena had only just finished creating the astronomy tower. They had unintentionally begun naming different rooms and halls, and the towers, two of which were most prominent had fondly been named Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tower.

Salazar had reconstructed the dungeons with an intricacy that could only be attributed to him. The big rounded ceilings and pillars that looked similar but led to completely different rooms would be confusing to anyone but him. Rowena's design for the astronomy tower was nothing compared to the labyrinth of a library that she'd created. It consisted of two levels, one looking over the other with a very large balcony with labyrinthine paths created by bookshelves, many of which were actually secret passageways to other rooms, Godric was certain she hadn't told him about all of them. All in all the library was filled wall to wall with thousands upon thousands of books. Where she'd got them all was beyond him entirely.

They were seated in the great hall, at a small table that they'd conjured up so they could rest and eat in between their work. Rowena would normally have her head in a book, or poured over drawings and designs as she continued to add onto the castle, but for the past few days she'd been quiet and tired. She was seated quietly in her chair, leaning back into it and looking at nothing in particular. Her hands were resting quietly over her stomacher. Godric handed her a cup of wine which she hardly noticed and when she did she declined it, asking for some water instead. She yawned finally and Godric decided to interrupt her quiet moment. He knew it would aggravate her that he couldn't take a moment to sit still and simply be quiet, enjoy the silence but it amused him to no end when he got her worked up.

"Am I boring you Lady Ravenclaw?"

"Not at all, my Lord Gryffindor. I'm only tired." He knew something was the matter then, she never let go of an opportunity to partake in one of their verbal sparring matches with him. That coupled with her unusual silence made him move to get her up from her seat.

"Get up."

"What? Why? Salazar and Helga will be down any moment."

"Come on Rowena, I'm going to show you that there's plenty of fun to be had far away from those dull books and quills." He took her by the hand and pulled her out of the Great Hall and up the stairs.

"And what precisely was that supposed to mean Gryffindor?" She said with only the slightest hint of insult in her voice and Godric chuckled at her while pulling her up the many steps leading to the seventh floor and into the left corridor where he finally stopped opposite a moving tapestry depicting Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach a group of trolls ballet. "What exactly are we doing her Godric?"

"Close your eyes and think of something you really, truly need at this moment."

"What I need is-"

"Don't tell me. Think hard on it and keep your eyes closed." She looked at him, head tilted to the side, rolling her eyes at him before she shook her head and sighed as she did with most things he suggested before she relented. She eventually closed her eyes and straightened herself out a bit before Godric took her by the hand again.

"Keep it in mind. What it is you want most right now, and be as specific as you can." He moved her past the tapestry three times before a wooden door appeared in the wall opposite the tapestry and he made her stop and open her eyes.

"It's a door."

"Your powers of observation really are astounding Rowena." She turned her head at him then and frowned before casting her gaze back onto the door. "Go inside." He urged her on and despite her irritation at him and his teasing she opened the door. He hadn't known what to expect really, he'd created the room to transform into whatever was needed by the person who needed it the most. He was surprised to see a small bedroom, with a large fireplace against the wall, a large bed and heavy cushioned armchairs placed around the room. There were several books strewn about but mostly the place consisted of soft rugs and tapestries on the walls. Furs were covering the bed and the fire kept the room warm and cosy.

"How did-?"

"I call it the Room of Requirement. It will only appear when a person is in great need of it, and it will transform into whatever the witch, or wizard, needs it to be at that moment in time. There are some limitations of course, but it's unplottable, which means no one will ever know it's here."

"This is incredible Godric."

* * *

><p>She turned around in the room and smiled in disbelief, before settling herself into the armchair. She could have curled into it three times, it was so large but she simply smiled up at him as he sat down next to her in the other armchair, naturally it suited him just fine.<p>

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked, after they'd been sitting in silence for awhile and she decided to break the silence, something she was certain he'd be grateful for.

"Clearly you needed it. And I was hoping you would let me in on all the secrets around here."

"What do you mean?" She feigned ignorance but that was something that was highly unlikely considering who she was. Godric gave her a stern look back and she couldn't help but look at him differently. The chiseled shape of his chin and the strong line of his jaw. His lips always seemed perched in a smile the nose that was slightly crooked, clearly from a fall or an injury of some sort and his eyes. His blazing green eyes that looked through her every time.

"Ever since I came back you've all been very quiet and mysterious around each other." She took in his look and couldn't ignore the disappointment that lingered behind it. "I'm no fool Rowena."

"I don't take you for one Godric."

"Then tell me what's going on." She considered it for a moment, she even opened her mouth to say something but then she thought better of it. She didn't know what to say. What was worse she didn't know why it was so difficult to form the words and even harder to pronounce them to him.

She hadn't liked him at first. Not at all, the way he strutted around, the very image of chivalry both in the wizarding world and the muggle world. He was a warrior and a leader and stubborn as all hell and she thought that his bravery was all good and well, but he was equal parts foolish, and it had infuriated her to no end. Until she'd realized of course that he wasn't foolish, his boyish charm and his love for adventure merely overtook his brilliant mind, his creativity and his passion for everything that he put his mind to. She had found real enjoyment in their long discussions and she'd been truly astounded at his plans for this place, for the school. Despite their bickering, she had slowly begun to realize that the feeling ran deeper than just curiosity, there was something else between them. Something that ran deeper, beyond the realms of friendship and it frightened her. Confused her, especially now.

"I'm pregnant." The words had been forming for a long time, the entire time that they'd been here building a future for the four of them and all the witches and wizarding children this side of the world. It shocked her that she'd finally let out what she'd known for these past few weeks, but she'd been afraid to admit it to anyone. To admit it to herself, that she was having a child and not only that but it was her husband's child and she was afraid of how it would turn out. If it would be as cruel and cold and unloving as it's father. But ever since last night, when she'd been woken by the feeling, it was difficult to describe, how a part of her had changed towards this unborn child. She'd truly begun considering it a child whereas before she hadn't thought much on the little being growing inside of her.

Godric's expression changed, it was clear to her then that whatever she felt for him wasn't at all one-sided but it whatever it was had now been crushed by this. Godric's frown dissipated as he looked at her more surprised than anything before he looked into the fire for a moment and then turned to look at her again. She could tell that certain things were becoming clearer to him, that he was beginning to understand why she'd been acting the way she was. Why she'd been so tired, and so quiet and so resigned to herself. And she hadn't told anyone, not even Helga, though she was fairly certain that Helga knew without having to be told.

"Well- are you,-" He stopped mid-sentence and Rowena didn't think she'd ever seen Godric at a loss for words. He stood up and walked towards the fireplace for a moment, head down and thinking as he frowned, gazing into the fire before he turned around to her. "Are you well? I mean you're not feeling ill or-"

"I'm fine Godric. I've just been tired lately."

"Alright. Well then you'll have to be more careful. Merlin's beard pregnant! You should have said something sooner, I wouldn't have let you do all that work-"

"I'm pregnant not invalid Godric." She shook her head at him and frowned at his ridiculousness.

"Still, a woman in your condition-" She raised her eyebrows at him and his attempt to take charge of this situation when he truly had no control over it whatsoever.

"In my condition?! Gods your family really is from the shallow end of the gene pool isn't it?"

"Do you have some kind of imbalance woman? Or is this just an attitude problem?" He continued on and angered her to the extent where she was on her feet again and he was chuckling almost to himself. Rowena smiled and added on, only so she could have the last word, because she knew they could keep going like this for the longest time.

"Tell me how old were you when your brain got up and left?" He chuckled in response and they stood so close to kissing that she felt like she was holding her breath or perhaps she was holding it for her. She could have leaned forward and their bodies would have touched, a touch that would have sent her soaring like the eagle on her crest but instead she closed her lips into a soft and grateful smile and took the smallest of steps away from him.

"We should get back. I'm sure Helga will have made us something to eat."

"I'm not that hungry really." Rowena turned around the room, suddenly not feeling the need for a large bed and rest but she didn't really want to be too close to him either. The proximity to him was making her nervous and the effect he had on her was even worse.

"Rowena, you need to eat." He'd put his hand in the small of her back to guide her out the door of the room of requirement and as he did so he whispered the words just barely into her ear and she felt like she might disappear.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's note: <em>**_Soooo... this is continuing on. Don't think you know what's going to happen because you don't, :) and remember for this next chapter as well that this story is Rated M for a reason. It's not all for fluff and mush, and smut either, there are some difficult things coming up. _

_That being said, I hope you enjoy the story so far. I'm getting quite into this story again, beginning to remember why I started it in the first place, and it's honestly because of my love for these four characters. Please read **AND**__review. And be honest. _


	5. Impervius

Salazar was being different towards her, it wasn't strange for him to be cold and indifferent he was much like Rowena in that aspect but for him to be keeping his distance from her entirely was an oddity. He spent more and more time with Rowena as the two of them discussed plans and designs for different halls, even though nearly everything was finished. The issue of how they were going to get the children here was another thing to worry about. They needed wizarding families all across England, Ireland and Scotland to know about the school. To know that it was a safe haven for their children, that they would learn from the best minds of the time and be able to practise magic without fear of prosecution.

The spells and enchantments that were involved in making the castle hidden were immense and most of them had to be performed by the four of them at once. Helga felt as if she was pouring all of herself into the castle, as if it were their own child. As if after all the thought and character that each of them had put into it, and all the magic that surrounded it, that it was a living breathing thing, and not just a pile of stones.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes I was hoping we could talk-"

"About what?" Salazar looked up at her from his notes and she cursed him for being so oblivious. She hated that he could be so intent on his feelings for her at one moment and then drop it for weeks, months now. Nothing had gone on between them. After he had made it so clear to her that he did genuinely care. That they would sort it out, he could just forget about it.

"Salazar, we may have an idea." Rowena came into the room looking slightly flushed but less tired than she'd looked before. Godric followed closely behind her as usual, Helga may be innocent and sweet but she could spot raw emotion out of a crowded room any time, not only that but it had been known to her for awhile what the reason was for Rowena's change in behaviour.

"We were thinking-"

"A dangerous activity for you my friend."

"How you underestimate me, brother." Helga couldn't help but smile at the way Salazar and Godric had begun to interact with each other, they may not always get along, in fact they had incredible differences in opinion but they were warm towards each other. It seemed almost to Helga as if Salazar had taken her place as Godric's best friend, which she didn't mind all that much. She wasn't nearly as envious of their relationship as she was of Salazar and Rowena's. They were so like of mind that they could spend hours pouring over books and texts, and Helga was almost certain that Rowena knew Salazar tenfold better than she did. "We were thinking-" Godric continued.

"We need to get word out on the school. And that it's a safe place for the children to come and learn." Rowena finished his train of thought.

"Not only that, but we need more people to teach. The four of us won't be able to handle all the wizarding children in all of England." Helga giggled at the thought of Godric wrangling hundreds of children, the most accomplished warrior of his age and he sounded frightened of children.

"So you had an idea?" Helga prompted them, knowing that Godric could go on his little speeches, not realizing that he was prattling on over nothing.

"A feast." Helga felt the excitement rise in her, instantly she was thinking of the different dishes she could make and the music, and the gowns, and everything would have to be decorated. Rowena smiled at her old friend, the two of them could read each other so well. Helga knew that Rowena was compiling a list of people to invite in her head and all the things that would have to be done.

"When?"

"The day of the summer Solstice." Godric boomed proudly.

"That's a brilliant idea!"

"That's only a few weeks away." Salazar grumbled and like Rowena he was already making a list of tasks that needed to be handled before the Summer Solstice in June. "We haven't even got a name for the school."

"We'll figure something out, in the meantime we have a great deal of things to do before we can be sure this is going to work." Rowena, soft-spoken and logical as always began making a real list, one they could all divide and conquer as they set on their task. The opening of their school was becoming very real, but people needed to hear about it. They would need students and important wizarding families to stand behind them if the Wizarding Council caught wind of it and disliked the idea of so many young minds being kept in one place. It wasn't until Salazar left without saying so much as a word to her that she was left wondering again. She found herself caught in a place that she disliked so severely that she was left wondering if she really did care for him. If it wasn't just a mixture of coincidence and physical proximity that had tricked her into believing a lie.

* * *

><p>"Salazar what's the matter with you?" Salazar looked up from what he was doing to find Rowena standing in the doorway of his chambers, she was wearing a long blue robe over her gown, something she tended to do lately, it hadn't gone unnoticed to anyone really that she was pregnant but she was only just beginning to show, and Salazar guessed that the only reason he had noticed it was because he spent so much time with her. And he'd begun to care about what happened to her. Not just her, but Godric and Helga too, but he had to admit, he cared more for Rowena than he liked to admit.<p>

She understood him, probably better than anyone else, they could sit together in silence perfectly comfortable and say a million things to each other without ever saying a word. It felt to him like a having a twin, having someone to steady him when he was in doubt she would show him the right course of action. She was the reason that he had become more reasonable towards the others, she pushed him to listen to what others had to say, pushed him to not just hear the words but understand the meaning behind them.

"Nothing. Why, do I look ill?" He looked at her as she moved into his rooms and sat down at the other side of his desk to look at him, her gaze scrutinizing as ever. He had fondly begun to call it her 'learning face' whenever she did this.

"What I mean to say is, why are you behaving so coldly towards Helga?" He was taken aback by that as he looked back at her, her dark eyes searching his and he thought on what had been different between Helga and him. Not much, at least he didn't think so.

"I- I didn't think anything had changed between us." He began and thought on it some more, he could tell Rowena was trying to piece together the information that she had available to her. "Why has she said something?"

"She wouldn't, Helga's not one to go about whining about her love life, or her lack of one. But she hasn't been herself, she's quiet and she looks at us as if she envies our conversations." He thought about that, wondering if it were true. But the honest truth was he didn't know what to think about Helga. He'd had other women, but none had ever been so extraordinary as Helga, she had a kindness that he'd never seen in any other person. Even this, how she tolerated him, dealt with his cool exterior that even he had a hard time getting past he didn't know. Why she even bothered was a riddle that he'd never be able to solve.

"Why does she even bother with me? I'm no good at this. She knows that."

"I don't think this is one of those things we're meant to question Salazar. Certainly _you _shouldn't, Helga's kindness and grace is something that is exceedingly rare in our time, and for some strange reason you are among the few lucky enough to experience it." She stood up and smiled at him then leaning forward just a bit. "Don't squander your chances because you can't get your nose out of your books. You'll forever end up regretting it." She tilted her head to the side in the way she did when she was giving him advice.

"Rowena." He called after her just before she left his rooms and she turned slowly and purposefully as always. "Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"That I can speak to serpents." He wanted to ask her a different question all together. He wanted to know if it bothered her that there was a lingering darkness within him that he knew he'd never be able to rid himself of. There was something in him that gnawed at his mind, and it was manifesting itself in a fascination for the dark arts. She turned back around to look at him, her dark eyes piercing his grey ones as she seemed to be searching for something that he couldn't comprehend.

"I trust in the things that I know Salazar. I trust in the fact that you are intelligent beyond measure, and that you are determined and disciplined, and that you have seen things that many of us cannot begin to comprehend and that some would say that a darkness like the one you witnessed clings to us for life." She said seriously, and honestly, in a way that only Rowena Ravenclaw could while still making you feel comforted by the truth. "And-" She continued suddenly, her tone changing and her eyes softening towards him in a way that they'd never done towards him before. "I also know, that Helga Hufflepuff, one of the most extraordinary witches of our time has a fondness for you. Which means that within you, there must also be a light, for it is a little known fact that Helga has the ability to see it and draw it out in people like no one I have ever known before."

She smiled at that, her sweet smile that lit up her otherwise serious and calculating face and she left the room before he could question her any more on it. He decided it best not to, realizing very quickly that he was lucky to have a friend in Rowena Ravenclaw, for surely she'd make a most terrifying enemy.

* * *

><p>"Salazar what do you want? The feast is tomorrow, and I sent all the house-elves to bed because they're going to need their rest so, I have a great deal of work to do."<p>

"Helga I-" She turned away from him, partially because she didn't want to speak to him and partially because she really, truly couldn't be distracted by him at the moment. She had a great deal of work to do and she knew that she shouldn't have sent the house-elves to bed but she felt a great deal of pity towards them for working so hard these past few weeks. They'd been doing nothing but preparing different recipes and remaking dishes over and over until Helga told them it was perfect. And here she was, still making changes to the menu for tomorrow. They wouldn't thank her for this but it all had to be done right.

She was busy making treacle tart and had her hands covered in flower when Salazar finally took her by the elbow and spun her around to look at him, her first instinct would have been to avert his gaze but instead she found herself staring straight into his grey eyes. His dark hair had grown out over the past few months and was now nearly as long as Godric's, hanging into his neck, except he kept it combed back neatly. He had a firm hold of her but seemed surprised at his own sudden gesture and the way he was handling her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"What do you want Salazar?!"

"I wanted to tell you-"

"To tell me what precisely? Why you've been avoiding me these past few months, or how we had a perfectly good night together months ago and you said we would sort everything out and then you never brought it up again. In fact it's as if you've forgotten about it entirely!" She hadn't realized how angry she was about all of it until now, and Helga wasn't one to get angry really about anything. She took pride in her patience and her graciousness, and her ease with which she could forgive someone but this was different, it _felt _different.

"I promise you I haven't forgotten about it in the slightest. Gods woman, you must know how I feel about you."

"I must? How should I? When you never say a word, you hardly even speak to me!"

"Does it need saying?!"

"Yes, it does!" They were shouting now, in the kitchens and Helga was simply grateful for the fact that Godric and Rowena were somewhere up in their towers, well out of earshot. But he was already shaking his head as if it was too much to ask of him. "If you won't _show _it, and I don't expect that of you Salazar, I wouldn't go so far as to ask that much of you, but I do need to hear it. Even if I'm the only one that knows-"

"I don't know how you can stand this-"

"Stand what?!" She was growing impatient and she was shocked at herself for being so demanding of him but this wasn't something that she could ignore. It wasn't a small matter, quite the opposite in fact, Helga felt that she couldn't move on properly unless this had all been resolved.

"Stand me." He said sternly, angrily. And she could tell it really did puzzle him, he didn't understand how she could be around him, and she couldn't comprehend her life without him now. He played such a vital part in it, whether they were together or not, he was part of her life, everything had changed since she'd met him, since they'd all found each other. The four of them, she wasn't entirely sure if it was for better or worse, but it had been changed all the same and for now it was good. She scoffed and shook her head at him, her lips curling into the slightest of smiles at her own understanding of what was really going through his head.

"Comprehension isn't necessary Salazar. Not for this." with that she moved closer to him and pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt. Uncaring of whether or not he understood why. The _why _didn't matter. When they broke away from the kiss, the coldness that usually overtook his eyes had diminished somewhat, there was a brightness in them, a light that shone that made her smile. She knew it was there, even if she was the only one to ever witness it, she knew it was there. She allowed him to move her back over to the counter, the two of them allowing the flower to powder up around them as he pushed her backwards and she began undoing the clasps on his tunic. The movements were an instinct she hadn't anticipated, the heat between them, all the anger and the passion that had been welling and gnawing at her was finally finding its release as his hands were all over her in languid movements that were followed by his kisses.

The laces of her gown came undone, and his tunic and breeches quickly disappeared as they were caught up in a string of sighs and touches.

She didn't know what she'd been expecting, she'd always imagined this would happen someday but not like this, not here. That being said, everything felt right, she hadn't anticipated the burning sensation that she would feel from his skin being on hers, or the complete shamelessness she had when all the layers were shed and she was completely naked before him. The pain gave way very quickly to lust as he pushed inside her, his hands caressing her body, her breasts. And her hands exploring the expanse of his back and his chest before she was being forced to grab hold of him tightly for fear of flying through the ceiling. She felt caught in a whisp of time, as if none of this was very real. The feeling that he gave her, the love that he enveloped her with as his usually cold grey eyes had softened and were now looking right through her, searching for some confirmation that she was alright with what had just happened.

He was still inside her, still holding her close to his chest as she shook and his hands entangled themselves with her hair again. He was waiting for her to say something, she could feel the anticipation in him and the tension that was beginning to settle itself in him again.

"Salazar, I just-" She whispered into his lips and he cut her off then, he kissed her gently on the lips before letting his kisses travel gently and slowly down her jawline where he stopped by her ear and whispered the words to her. She knew they were difficult for him to say, it was difficult for him to admit a certain amount of vulnerability. She knew she probably wouldn't hear the words very often, but the fact that they belonged to her meant the world, and it was all she could have asked for. Instead of pressing him for anything more, she held him as tightly as he was holding her, not letting go, and promising to herself that she would never do anything to betray the trust that he had just given her so freely.

* * *

><p>Rowena moved down the large marble steps towards the Great Hall and was met with a great deal of whispers and gasps as she came down. She was wearing a royal blue gown made in French silk, the bodice was pulled as tightly as her newly showing stomach would allow, though most people would hardly notice the tiny little bulge that had started to form, and her billowing skirts still hid it quite well. Her gown had been embroidered with silver-thread to form a very delicate damask pattern in the bodice and underskirt. She knew the effect made it look like she shimmered when she walked and undoubtedly she would be the envy of most, but it was the agreement that all of them would dress exceptionally well and look as if they were masters of magic. She had heard the whispers, that they were called the brightest minds of the age, and though Rowena had never wanted to admit to it, she couldn't help but notice as she came down the steps of their castle, their grand, new school. She found that all eyes were on her and her friends as the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.<p>

It was a name they had chosen perchance, and quite last minute as they hadn't been able to settle on anything else until Helga had remarked how much Hogwort grew on the grounds. She smiled at the sight of Helga, her gown was made nearly identical to Rowena's except that the colour of the outer skirt was the deepest black and her underskirt was a gold silk damask that shined as brightly as Helga did. She wore a little golden coronet on the top of her head, that stood out amongst her auburn curls which had been braided and fastened delicately at the back of her head whereas Rowena had worn her hair down with a delicately made silver and sapphire encrusted crown on the top of her head. Her jewels were made in the same tones to match her gown, as were Helga's. She deep black onyx stones hanging from gold chains and ornate settings. The two of them were in the midst of a joke when Godric and Salazar appeared behind them and interrupted.

"What's so funny?" Godric smiled and came a little too close for comfort.

"Oh nothing, we were just discussing the two of you." She replied quickly and managed to turn around so that she could put some distance between the two of them. Salazar however moved over to Helga's side, and subtly placed a kiss on her hand before standing next to her, perfectly casual as if nothing had happened. Rowena stole a glance at him and nodded in quiet understanding and he managed a smile towards her. Salazar and Helga were pulled away in a conversation with some old wizard who was familiar with Helga's family and Rowena was left alone with Godric by her side, the music was playing loudly in the Great Hall and people were all around them talking amongst themselves, marveling at the structure of the school and the magnificence in their collection of portraits and statues and the decor that now filled the walls of the castles. Merwyn, Hengist, Cornelius, Uric and Wendelin were all in attendance and smiling upon them.

"Are you well, Lady Ravenclaw?" Godric stood before her, hands behind his back and standing straight to his full height, smiling at her smugly. Knowing that the formality of their conversation would amuse her.

"I am very well Lord Gryffindor. Thank you." She replied smoothly, smiling back at him with an ease that had formed between them over the past year or so since they'd met.

"Well in that case, would you care to dance?" He held out his hand to her and gave her a little bow. Damn him and his spontaneity, Rowena knew that she could probably know him for years and he would still surprise her in some way. She couldn't say no, they were surrounded by people who had eyes on them, who were watching them and their behaviour and considering whether or not they should entrust them with the care of their children.

So instead of turning down his offer and making it look like there was discord among the founders she placed her hand in his and allowed him to guide her out onto the dancefloor. The enchanted instruments that floated around aimlessly between the guests struck up a new song and Godric bowed politely as she curtsied towards him and he turned her gently into a sedate and dignified pavane. Nothing too radical that could provoke some rumour or the other that would spread like wildfire.

"The moving staircases, I suppose that was your idea?" Godric murmured as he took hold of her once more, one hand on her waist and the other holding her hand steady, Rowena couldn't help but smile. She'd kept it as a surprise, it had been a long and complicated enchantment that she'd been working on for a long time, almost as soon as she'd seen the ruins had she imagined an ever changing floor-plan in the castle. Where the staircases almost had a mind of their own.

"Well I had to do something. If your Room of Requirement was the most exciting thing inside the castle walls, we'd look very poor indeed." He laughed a deep and boisterous laugh making people wonder what it was she'd said, and it caught on to make her laugh as well as they separated once more. To her great surprise, Salazar and Helga joined in the dance next to them, making it seem as though the four of them had practised the movements very carefully for a long time.

The four of them laughed and danced until the song began to turn to something else, Godric bowed to her and she smiled in a polite curtsy before jotting her head towards where Helga stood, hinting that he should offer her a dance as well. She turned to Salazar smiling instantly because she knew he wasn't interested in another dance so instead she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and the two of them stole away from the dance floor to be met by a group of witches and wizards who were commending them on their work. They were very curious as to who did what and how everything would work.

"Well we were hoping to gain some interest from witches and wizards to teach here. Our hope is that every young witch and wizard will attend, so they can have a safe place to learn and practise magic, but clearly just the four of us couldn't handle so many children." The woman laughed clearly amused and began pointing out different aspects of the castle that she enjoyed.

"How many children would you like to attend? And starting at what age?"

"All children that display magical abilities, and we would like to start them at the age of eleven."

"That's a good age, they're very impressionable. But _all _magical children? Even the muggle born how would you notify them without causing a stir or raising attention to witchcraft?"

"The muggle-born children won't be attending." Salazar answered too quickly and it took Rowena by surprise for only a moment.

"Not unless someone from the school is appointed to the family to guide them in their understanding of magic. We would not put our world at risk unless we were certain that we could maintain our secrecy."

"Rowena, I don't think having the muggle-born children around children from wizarding families is the best-"

"Don't be ridiculous Salazar! All children are welcome at Hogwarts, most especially those from muggle families, since they are at a much higher risk of being persecuted than those born to privilege. They deserve the protection and learning that Hogwarts has to offer them." Godric came in between the two of them and Rowena could see this argument escalating, and both were too stubborn to relent to one another for the sake of keeping the peace at this very moment.

"Salazar, I need your help with something. If you would excuse us." She smiled sweetly at the woman and pulled Salazar away with her before he could fix his most arrogant look on her or Godric.

"What was all that about?" He turned to look at her angrily once she had pulled him around to one of the courtyards leading out to the grounds.

"Salazar what are you doing? We can't be seen to disagree on such important matters in front of these people. We want their children to feel safe coming here, not persecuted by one of our own."

"These are wizarding families. _Old _wizarding families, why would they want their children to be exposed to those of lesser birth?"

"Can you hear yourself Salazar? You, yourself have a muggle parent."

"My mother comes from a long line of-"

"I don't care. If this school had already existed when you were a child, would you want to have been excluded from learning and from the protection it brought you because you carry your father's blood in your veins?" Rowena was doing what she did best, reasoning with Salazar was the only way to make him see, not defying him in open public and trying to outbest him the way Godric would have done.

"Rowena, really I thought you would have-"

"Rowena!" There was a shout from across the courtyard and she turned to look at who could possibly be calling her name so crassly. She took a step forward, away from Salazar to see better, when she saw who it was she inhaled sharply and turned to Salazar.

"Salazar you better leave us."

"Who is that?" Salazar didn't appreciate being dismissed like this and she wouldn't have, under any other circumstance she wouldn't have but she couldn't let him be near to this. She wondered how he'd even gotten into the castle, but then she realized that they had lifted some of the enchantments to let in some of the powerful wizards that were present at the moment. Salazar took a good long look at the man who was barreling towards them, he shoved some young wizard who was merely in his way.

"It's my husband. Please Salazar, let me deal with him. Go." She begged him, hoping he would understand, knowing in her heart that he never would. That this was what made her weak in his eyes, her inability to stand up to this human, this bumbling fool of a man who knew only how to use his fists. Salazar disappeared quickly and she was left almost alone in the courtyard. She could see some of the other guests inside through the archways, none of them had taken notice, much to her relief.

"What are you doing here?"

"You've lied to me." He gripped her by her arm and pushed her heavily into one of the pillars in the courtyard, the stones were digging into her back as he encroached on her and all she could think of was her pregnant belly.

"Please, Roderick. Don't do this."

"Do what precisely? You've been lying to me, shacking up here with that yank Gryffindor, you think I wouldn't find out about the two of you?" He pushed his arm into her throat then and Rowena gasped for breath. He had both her other hands held behind her back and she was steadily gasping for air as she pleaded with him. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she tried to form words and begged him to stop.

"Roderick, please. I'm with child, your child." his arm came away from her throat and she gasped for air and doubled over. She closed her eyes and felt herself succumbing to uncontrollable sobs that sounded horrid as she gasped for air. She thought she'd escaped him, that he'd realized what he'd done and would leave her be now but it was only a split second of peace before he pushed her to stand upright again.

"You think you can cuckold me?! You lying witch!"

"Oy! Leave her alone!" His fist came down on her stomach enough to knock the wind out of her and then some, she felt something tearing inside of her and she cried out, he was pulled back away from her much too rapidly. Someone was using magic on him and she was in too much pain to care.

"Rowena!" another voice calling out her name, and she hardly cared. Something was wrong, something was very wrong and all she could think of was how many people were staring at her, she wanted to get away. Wanted to hide and curl away and disappear so she could wake up and realize it was all just a nightmare.

* * *

><p>"Rowena!" Godric had given the man a solid beating, no magic involved. The bastard, Godric only realized now why she'd been so conflicted about the baby, it hadn't had anything to do with her feelings for him. If she even had any, it was about him, the brute of a muggle that he was. Beating a woman, a pregnant woman at that. It was pathetic and he'd told him so. The man had only laughed, saying something about not having to deal with a bastard when Salazar struck him across the face too. Godric turned to find her, his heart was leaping out of his chest as he searched for her face but it wasn't there. She wasn't doubled over by the pillar anymore, but he could tell where she'd gone and he knew something was very wrong.<p>

She hadn't gone far, thank Merlin for that as he came running down the steps of the courtyard that led into the grounds, she had sat down at the bottom of them, her legs pulled up against her chest and she was shaking when he reached her, she was still crying. He moved to sit next to her.

"Rowena, it's alright, Cornelius and Hengist have got hold of him and trust me when I say Salazar won't let the bastard escape."

"No, Godric, it's not alright." She shook her head and was still shaking as she shifted her weight a bit. "Godric I'm bleeding." She cried out and leaned into him, shaking and sobbing, her hands on her stomach where her baby ought to be. Godric couldn't really fathom what he was supposed to do but he was never one to simply freeze. He took hold of her in his arms and lifted her off the staircase and called for Helga while he carried her to the hospital wing.

* * *

><p>Helga wondered how this had happened, how their day could have changed so quickly. This morning everything had been perfect. Everyone was thrilled and excited, even Rowena who had been strangely quiet seemed more optimistic and brighter in light of what was going to take place. And the feast had been absolutely perfect, their guests had been marvelous and everyone had left happy and sated and excited for the changes that this school would bring their children. None of them had known what had really gone on in the courtyard. Merlin's beard, Helga didn't even really know.<p>

She sat here, after everything that had happened and a night full of blood and tears and sweat and wondered what had happened and how it could have possibly led to this. Rowena wasn't well. She'd lost blood, a great deal of it and she was ill, and the baby. The poor baby Helga thought, she'd never liked Rowena's husband but she'd been just the slightest bit excited about the baby. She felt the loss as if she'd already known him, and it had been a boy. That was even worse it seemed. Helga left the room quietly, leaving Rowena to sleep finally, she'd been lost in between her tears and the pain and the shock of things so terribly that Helga had been forced to give her something to help her sleep. She'd been reluctant to do so because of the danger it posed, Rowena wasn't well. And the brute had done this to her, had forced this kind of trauma on her in the most horrid way.

When she came outside Godric and Salazar were waiting for her, she shouldn't have been surprised really but Godric took in the look of her bloody apron and Salazar simply stood there frowning seriously. She could tell he was considering what had happened, what might still happen, he had nearly broken his hand in striking Roderick, but really she could hardly blame him. She'd have done the same thing if he hadn't gotten there first.

"The baby's gone." She didn't know how else to bring across such grave news, Godric's face was more severe than she'd ever seen it, she imagined this is what he must look like in battle. Grave and determined, it saddened her to see her friend like this, when all she'd ever known him to be was loud and boisterous and happy.

"What about Rowena?" Salazar looked at her carefully, his grey eyes searching hers harshly, she wished now more than ever that Rowena wasn't the one suffering, that Rowena was here to be the middle ground, so she could tell them all to stop being ridiculous and get on with it, but she wasn't. She was in the other room, pale and hurting and weak and there wasn't anything else they could do about it. Even with magic, there were too many women who suffered during childbirth, and miscarriages were tricky.

"I think if she makes it through the night, she'll be alright."

"I'll stay with her, you should get some rest Helga." Godric offered and Salazar nodded Helga simply stood there, waiting for something to happen, for someone to tell her that it would be alright but there was no one who would. Salazar wasn't good at these things, and Godric, he was too preoccupied with the state of Rowena to see that Helga needed something, anything to calm her nerves. She felt slightly selfish at feeling so desperately the need for consolement but there it was, though she wouldn't complain about it. Instead she swallowed back the tears and nodded in response to Godric's suggestion before going to wash her hands and change out of her sorrow-drenched-clothes.

* * *

><p>Salazar stole a moment to go into her room when Helga and Godric were outside talking about what had happened. He hadn't known what to expect upon entering her room.<p>

She was almost perfectly still, her skin paler than he'd ever seen it and when he reached to hold her hand, her skin was cold as ice. He sat down then, at the edge of her bed, her small slender hand in his. Inkstains were still on her fingers, dark enough to match his, though they looked like bruises on her skin because of her pallid, moonlike complexion now.

"Rowena, I- I only came to apologize. I shouldn't have left you alone." He started and then thought how useless that would be unless she woke up. He looked at her, her laboured breathing and the darkness of her eyelashes against her cheeks as they fluttered, even in her suffering she was beautiful, like some maiden out of a story.

It wasn't her beauty that struck him now though, it was her frailty, the importance that she played in his life. He hadn't expected it when he first met her, she was hard and unmoving and extremely rational and he'd found her cold and unnerving at first. Before he understood that she was neither cold or unmoving. She was careful and contemplating, but she was creative and filled with a light that matched Helga's whether she realized it or not. She was the one who had changed him, who had pushed him. He realized it only now as she lay here, as they were losing her and watching her light fade.

"Rowena, you can't leave us. You don't realize it but without you, none of this will succeed. We will all be lost without you and everything that we've worked for will be undone. I will be undone." He took a breath, thinking of what would have happened if he'd never met her. Godric challenged him most certainly but Rowena was the one to reason with him, to listen to him, without judgement and objectively come to a decision alongside him. "You're always here, reminding me of what matters most. My friendship with Godric. My love for Helga." He nearly whispered that last part into her fingers as he held them close, it almost felt as if he were praying to her. But he felt like he was praying, begging for her not to leave them. "Without you, none of us will be alright." Without her, he would become a monster, the one they had feared he would be when they had all first met. And this was the first time he was admitting it to himself. And he would only ever share it with her. "You can't leave me here with only Helga and Godric, we will ruin each other. We need you to come back. I need you-" He could hear Godric's heavy footsteps in the hall and he took a deep breath, biting away the tears that had begun to form and the heaviness that was building in his chest before kissing her hand and placing it gently on the bed.

Godric came in behind him and he stood up, they looked at each other severely for a moment and Salazar could feel the shock coming off Godric, he may have hidden it from Helga but Godric was at a loss for what to do without her. It seemed they all depended a great deal on Rowena, for different reasons, but the fact remained that without Rowena Ravenclaw they had lost their greatest treasure. Salazar did something that fought most of his instincts then, he moved forward, allowing Godric to grasp them both into one of his bear-like embraces as he clapped his friend on the shoulder, knowing that whatever sentiment he felt for Rowena, Godric felt it in tenfold.

* * *

><p>Rowena woke up to a pain in her belly, it wasn't a fluttering a sudden movement that had woken her up about a week ago when she'd first felt her baby quicken. She opened her eyes to find that she wasn't in her room, the sheets were white and clean and the bed was smaller than her own. She turned her head to find someone holding her hand and a man asleep, leaning on the side of her bed. There was no mistaking the burning red hair for anyone else, Godric slept quietly, his large hand covering hers entirely as she suddenly remembered what had happened.<p>

"Godric." She whispered quietly and his eyes shot open, he was sitting up in an instant looking her over carefully to see if he'd really heard his name. "Was it a dream?" She whispered again and his green eyes fell on her, there was a strength in them that she was suddenly grateful for as he shook his head.

"Was it a boy or a girl?" She didn't know why she asked, why she felt the need to know but it was there, the pressing urge.

"Rowena-"

"Was it a boy or a girl?" She asked again more determined, tears forming in her eyes already, knowing her heart was broken regardless, but she needed to know.

"A boy." He answered solemnly and she turned her head away from him for a moment, she knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help imagine her baby in her arms, her boy. She'd thought of him as a real living, breathing child ever since she could feel him turning in her belly and she'd known for a certainty that she was going to be a mother. To suddenly be deprived of seeing him grow, hearing him laugh or cry. She cried silently, almost to herself as she shook and Godric reached out to her, holding her, she buried herself in his large protective frame and cried out for her baby, her boy.

* * *

><p>Salazar had taken a good bottle of strong butterbeer from the kitchens and moved towards the Hufflepuff dormitories that Helga had built for herself, the moment he had left Rowena all he could think of was her. And how she must be frightened for her friend, at least as much as he was. He tapped the barrel carefully in the right rhythm, not wanting to get a vat of vinegar tossed over him now or ever, as the secret opening revealed itself and he stepped into the warm common room that she'd created. The rounded place looked like a badger hole, warm, with tunnels leading out towards the separate girls and boys dormitories, it was nothing like the common room he'd created, completely made out of stone, and marble and structured in careful and immaculate detail.<p>

She wasn't sleeping, he didn't really think she would be, but she was standing at the large rounded fireplace, a shawl draped over her shoulders as she finally turned to look at him. He tilted his head to the side, knowing instantly that he should have come sooner, she didn't seem to care as he moved forward and placed a hand in the nape of her neck and pulled her closer. She broke out into tears, shaking and whimpering into his chest as she held onto him and he did his best to simply hold her and soothe her. He didn't really know what to say to her that would make any of it better except what he knew to be fact. Rowena was strong, she would fight. She wouldn't be Rowena if she didn't.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's note: <em>**_I apologize, I know this is one of those chapters that is filled with heartwrenching angst and emotions that aren't found in most fanfictions, that being said, the story isn't over, they still have a lot to go through these four, so stay tuned... and please review, even if you hate it._

_**TO BE CONTINUED... **  
><em>


	6. Draconifors

The room seemed divided into two halves, with the table that they sat at splitting them, Godric in the middle on one side and Salazar on the other. It had been like this for days and Helga didn't know what to do with them. Hengist, and Cornelius were sitting on either side of Godric, on Salazar's side there was of course Merwyn and surprisingly Wendelin who had somehow decided that Salazar was completely right in his argument. Uric sat quietly behind Helga in a corner twirling the jellyfish tentacles soothingly in his hand while Helga looked on horrified as their argument simply continued on.

"You're a fool Gryffindor, we can't allow the muggle-borns into this school. They will jeopardize everything we've built here! Do you really believe that a bunch of children can keep something like this a secret?!"

"They at least deserve a fighting chance! Damn you for not being able to see that! Not allowing them to attend Hogwarts poses a much greater threat than leaving them to fend for themselves."

"Merlin's beard, your naivety blinds you Gryffindor-"

"And your arrogance blinds you! We have the responsibility to protect those whom need it the most, and you would turn your back on more than half of them-"

"Those undeserving of it, yes!"

"And who decides that they are undeserving, you?" Hengist stood up now, as outraged as Godric and Helga could feel the tempers rising in the room.

"Their bloodlines." Merwyn interrupted coolly, his voice a slithering whisper that made her skin crawl with the mere malice that hid behind it, and it only angered the rest of them.

"You really are a foul creature Merwyn. It isn't about their bloodlines, how polluted has your mind become if that's what you believe? It's about educating young minds, changing this world for the better!"

"The world _has _changed Godric, or do we have to remind you that we live in a time where witches and wizards are persecuted for their gifts instead of revered? We once ruled these parts-" Wendelin interrupted much to Godric's dismay, Helga could see it written all over her friend's face, he was infuriated by the realization that someone as brilliant as Wendelin could be on Salazar's side. But Helga understood her reasoning. Before Wendelin, thousands upon thousands of witches and wizards had been burned at the stake, their wands taken away. Persecuted by their loved ones, their family and friends abandoning them for fear of being guilty by association.

"And now they fear us." Salazar finished for her. "As they should."

"Do you hear yourself?! Fear breeds hate Salazar, we have to learn from our past. If we create segregation among these children we will only be creating more fear, more hatred. And mark my words Salazar one day a war will erupt because of it." Helga took in Godric's words, a terrifying shiver crawling up her spine as if it were true. As if she could feel the rift already causing a ripple that they wouldn't be able to repair. She was hoping that it would never come to that, but having the strange feeling that it might one day, she knew of the discord within the wizarding world regarding this particular topic, but she had never seen it so blatantly thrown into her face. What's more is she hadn't expected to hear this side of the argument coming from Salazar, with such certainty and logic that it was impossible to sway him. It was more than just one side of a debate for him, he _believed _it.

"We _have _learned Godric. That is why we must protect ourselves, accepting those with impure blood into the school, allowing them to become educated in our ways will only make it a matter of time before the whole of the muggle world knows of this school. Knows about us, and they are not kind to our ways, they will not allow us to exist peacefully-"

"They already know about us-" Helga wished she could interrupt, wished she was as eloquent as Rowena, as hotheaded as Godric or even as rational as Salazar but she couldn't. She didn't want any of this, this was not at all what she had agreed to. She didn't care who attended the school, she would teach squibs if it would keep them safe, this kind of discord from within their own circle shocked her. The anger that was welling between Salazar and Godric was more than just tempers flaring, Helga could almost see the rift growing between them and it broke her heart to think that they would do this to each other.

"Not all of them, and if they ever did it would only lead to our demise, and I will not stand by idly while this school is destroyed from within its very walls!"

"Where are you going?! Helga, please talk to him." Godric turned to look at Helga when she stood up, and she hated that he was pleading with her, he was flushed nearly as red as his hair with anger, Helga wished she could say something. But instead she looked from Godric to Salazar, disappointed and heartbroken by them both before she steeled herself and made herself hard towards them both.

"I have _nothing _to say to either of you. I'm going to check on Rowena." She hoped it would be clear to them both that this was hurtful, that them even putting her in this position was cruel towards her. Instead she simply turned from the staff room and into the Great Hall. Uric was following her, he seemed upset by it all, as much as she was, but she reminded herself to take a page out of Rowena's book and she bit back the emotional response she so desperately wanted to express.

* * *

><p>Godric fumed at his friend, feeling a great tear at their friendship. This <em>difference in opinion <em>had lingered there since the beginning, always would he imagined but this was something he couldn't compromise on. More than that he **_wouldn't_**. Salazar didn't know, couldn't know what it was to leave young witches and wizards unprotected. He hadn't seen the massacres, the fields so blackened with ash that nothing would ever grow there again. He couldn't comprehend how Wendelin who had experienced such prosecution first-hand could ever argue that magical children should just be left to their fate. He'd left the argument where it was, up in the air, for the third time this week. He and Salazar had had this discussion before, and Godric could argue with Salazar as well as any other. Loudly, with passion, vigour, and he hated to admit it, anger. He knew it would normally be enough for him to leave Salazar dismayed at his stubbornness and his refusal to submit. But Godric wouldn't relent on this and this time it was harder than it usually was.

The images had been burning through his mind, these past few nights more than ever. He supposed it had something to do with Rowena being attacked by that monster, it made him understand Salazar's point of view, his fear of muggles but he couldn't shake the memories that haunted him. The times he'd been sent to help and gotten there too late, and it happened too often. A witch-hunt disguised as an army being sent out to suppress some rebellion or other, muggles were none the wiser while entire villages were burned to the ground.

Bodies stretched across fields. Witches and wizards,- and their children- deprived of any real knowledge of magic, no wands, or protecting enchantments. It happened sometimes that muggle-born witches and wizards found each other and created their own little communities but it was never long before they were found out. Never long before other villages began to notice that their crops were better, or their wool was softer. And then Godric would be given word much too late, and he would be sent to clean up the mess. To cover up the innocents lost, make it as if it never were for fear that muggles find out what had really happened. And no one would ever remember what really happened. He was seething at the thought of it.

Those images never left him, and he didn't want them to. It reminded him of why he had to be so passionate, why he shouldn't relent. He had been given the power to help them, to prevent it from ever happening again. Helga, Rowena and Salazar had gained the means alongside him to protect those innocent children, so small that their feet didn't even reach the ground while they were swinging off the branches of blood-soaked trees.

He hung his head as he moved towards his tower and moved up the steps carefully and solemnly reflecting on the way things had ended with Salazar. What bothered him more perhaps is the look Helga had given him before she left, that look had ended the entire discussion in one fell swoop. Her big blue eyes were filled with hurt and disappointment and he knew that it was directed at him as much as Slytherin. But she didn't know, nor did he want her to know what it was like to witness so much grief, to hear the wailing that occurred when children were torn from this world without ever knowing how special they were. How absolutely extraordinary they could have been, if only they'd been protected. If only he'd been there.

* * *

><p>Helga moved into her friend's rooms hoping to find Rowena the way she always had when they were little. Sitting up in her bed, reading by candle-light and perfectly unsurprised at the presence of little Helga Hufflepuff sneaking into her room. But instead Rowena was curled up in her bed, the same way she'd been the day before, and Helga found herself once again disappointed. This wasn't Rowena, not the one she knew, not the strong, bright, intelligent young woman who had always sat across the table from her, giving her knowing glances before the two of them would break into a fit of giggles. Or the girl who she had shared a room with for so many years, staying up late and practising spells, making birds or butterflies flutter out of their wands with one of Rowena's clever new enchantments.<p>

But instead of that, she was greeted with a darkened room, where the once so bright and beautiful Rowena Ravenclaw lay broken and hurt and immovable. Godric had been to see her and Salazar, neither of them could coax her out of bed, let alone get her to eat something. Helga stood for a moment, looking at the small huddled form beneath the sheets and then took a breath, placing the tray of food on her bedside table before she crawled in with her old friend. Rowena didn't turn around at first but Helga just lay there quietly for a moment considering what she could do to help. She couldn't imagine the hurt, but if she could relieve Rowena from it by suffering herself she would. She knew that most people thought her foolish and stupid for thinking such things but Helga couldn't help it. She couldn't stand to see any form of suffering, from her friends or even complete strangers. She turned onto her side to look into her friends big dark eyes, there were dark circles around her eyes and her already fair skin looked pasty and wrong.

"I don't know what to say to you." Helga started, she didn't. And she knew that with Rowena, honesty had always made the most sense to her.

"When Gunhilda died, when she cast that spell, did you feel like-"

"What?" Helga was so relieved to hear Rowena's voice again that she was desperate to keep her talking, to prompt her to keep going. Though she was surprised to hear her speaking of Gunhilda, the final spell she had cast, had accidentally killed her. And Helga had been there to witness it. Had tried to stop it and save Gunhilda to no avail.

"As if everything was somehow moving slower. As if time had lapsed somehow-" Helga could tell that for once Rowena was at a loss for words, but Helga didn't think there were any words for grief like this.

"No." Helga admitted. She wanted to help her friend but she didn't think that lying to Rowena about her own experience would help. Besides losing Gunhilda, and losing a baby- those things couldn't compare she thought. "One moment she was there, and then the next she wasn't. As if I blinked and then she was gone."

"I feel like time has slowed down, and everything around me is moving so fast and I just want to go back to when things were normal. When I wasn't '_poor Rowena_' hiding in her room bedridden with a dead... a dead baby. But I am, so I can't. And I'm just- I'm just trapped. And there is all this pressure with everyone hovering around me waiting for me to do something or say something. Or yell, or cry some more and I'm happy to play my part. I'm happy to say the lines and do whatever it is that I'm supposed to be doing if it will make everyone feel more comfortable. But I don't- I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be this person. I don't- I don't know who this person is." She was close to tears again, her chest rising up and down as she tried to catch her breath. Even in her grief Rowena was fighting to be composed and it pained Helga to see it.

"Rowena-" Helga reached out for her and held her as she had never had to do before. Rowena had always comforted Helga. Rowena had always been the strong one, the one that couldn't be broken. Helga couldn't remember how many times it had been Rowena comforting her, and reassuring her that everything would be alright, but she could certainly count this as the first time she'd ever had to comfort her best friend. She realized that it wasn't just the loss of her baby, but the helplessness she was feeling now was almost too much for her to process. Clever Rowena, didn't know what to do with all these emotions, she had no idea and she was lost. Helga held her for a time and then got her to eat something before it started getting dark again. Then Helga, doing what she thought most useful to her ailing friend, lit the fire and all the candles to bring light into the room. Rowena needed to find herself again. She might not be exactly the way she was but she would have to find a new balance. She thought Rowena would have gone back to sleep after but instead she was surprised to hear Rowena's voice again, clearer than before.

"Hey Hufflepuff." Helga turned and instinctively smiled at the sound of her old nickname.

"Yes Ravenclaw."

"Helga, you're my best friend. I don't know what I would ever do without you." Though her voice was clearer and her eyes a bit brighter than before, there was still a sombreness that lingered there but Helga didn't mind it so much. The words were so uncharacteristic of Rowena that she couldn't help but tilt her head to the side and smile back at her friend warmly.

"Rowena, you're my best friend until the very end."

"Until the _very _end?" Rowena repeated a hint of a smile playing at her lips.

"Of course. Whatever happens."

* * *

><p>Salazar leaned back in his chair exasperated at his friend. Godric was insufferable. It was the only word that could accurately describe him. His inability to see logic past his passion was shocking to Salazar. He wished Rowena were present so she could help Godric see past this foolishly romantic notion of a Utopian school. It was ridiculous, and Godric was a fool for not understanding that.<p>

He spoke of protecting the children, but they needed to protect the institution in order to do that. There would be no protection if Hogwarts fell at the hands of muggles and their witch-hunts. Not to mention that the ministry would have a say about allowing those of impure blood to attend. The risks just simply weren't worth it, and Godric in his foolishness refused to see it.

What surprised him more than anything was that Godric knew what the consequences would be if they were ever found out by muggles. He'd seen the massacres, entire wizarding villages and communities torn to the ground and burned to dust. Salazar didn't need to be reminded of his own tragedies, his own memories that would always resurface when everything came into discussion. His own mother had been torn from her home, by her husband's betrayal she'd been burned at the stake. The smell had been horrifying, Salazar would never forget the day he was forced to watch his mother being burned alive and how the stink of her burning flesh had clung to him for weeks. How could Godric forget? How could he fight so ardently for the protection of those that would only lead to their own destruction?

Godric's own stubbornness only made Salazar more adamant in his own argument. He wouldn't relent to this idiocy, he couldn't. There was a knock at his door finally and Helga snuck into his rooms the way she had for the past few nights now. She regarded him with a careful smile before walking towards him and allowing him to pull her into his lap. She was so delicate and soft and warm that he couldn't help but think of what would happen to her if Hogwarts were destroyed by Godric's ignorance.

"How is Rowena?"

"She's alright." She was quiet for a moment, pensive and still as she looked into the fireplace before smiling a little. "In any case she _will _be. Soon I hope." He wondered what she could mean, sometimes the things she said made little sense to him, but he disregarded it and trusted in her optimism. "How are you?" she turned her head towards him carefully waiting for an answer. _Helga the patient_. Salazar thought.

"Godric is insufferable." He blurted the words without considering whether they would hurt her or not. He was so caught up in his arguments with Godric that he hadn't noticed her flinching every time they brought it up. "He doesn't understand I only want to protect the school-"

"They're just children Salazar. They deserve to learn, it should not matter what blood-"

"Merlin not you too!" He stood up pushing her off his lap and turning to face her. Helga sat down in his chair, not willing to go toe to toe with him on anything. Least of all this. "Helga you know what they are capable of. If we allow these impurities into our school and teach them in our ways it will only come back to haunt us. It will destroy us."

"You can't know that Salazar."

"It's happened before, and it will happen again. Peaceful cohabitation is impossible with _them_."

"But it doesn't have to be. And regardless of the danger, don't you think that we've been given a responsibility to help those that we can. As many as we can." Salazar shook his head in exasperation at her now. He couldn't understand how he found her compassion for every living creature both beautiful and appalling at the same time.

"You- You would teach squibs if you could wouldn't you?!" He shook his head in disbelief as she smiled, giving a slight giggle before responding to his question.

"Of course I would." She said in complete honesty and he found himself disgusted at the thought of her stooping so low. "Salazar, you mustn't think yourself above anyone. Magic chooses us, you could have been born a squib so could I-"

"Nonsense." He now thought she was being completely ridiculous, pure blood would always prevail. Squibs were born to families who had muggle blood somewhere in their lineage. He hadn't voiced this opinion to anyone yet, not even Rowena but he was certain that it could be verified quite easily.

"I don't understand why you and Godric provoke each other so much-"

"Provoke him?! I do no such thing! He won't understand, his naivety prevents him from seeing the truth. Seeing what is best for Hogwarts, for _us_."

"What is best for us and what is _**right**_, are not always the same thing!" She stood up then, red in the face the same way Godric got when he was becoming immovable and she was frowning. Something he'd never see her do before. She was flushed red, all the way to her hair, but it wasn't so much out of anger as it was with Godric. It seemed she was partially embarrassed, and shy to express how she really felt.

"You would sacrifice _this_, everything we've built here for the sake of a bunch of mudbloods?!" She flinched at the word and then pressed on angrily.

"Yes." She said stubbornly. "Yes, yes. A thousand times yes. If it meant saving hundreds of innocents from persecution and the stake, then I would sacrifice everything." She moved to get away from him and he reached out to grab hold of her.

"Where are you going? I'm not finished."

"Oh, but I am. I can't stand this for another second. I don't expect you to agree with me Salazar, but you forget that we are talking about _children. _I refuse to stay here and listen to you rationalizing why they should be killed while others shouldn't." She shook his hand loose and then turned to leave, running out of his rooms without another glance at him and Salazar was left standing alone in his dungeons. The sound of her anger resonated through him and he didn't know what to make of it. He blamed her heart, her warmth and her compassion for this. She couldn't help herself, the same way she couldn't help inviting all those house-elves into the castle. He finally sat back down in his seat, too angry and bitter and worked up to go to his bed. He sat quietly and stewed on what would happen tomorrow.

* * *

><p>"Magic has belonged to pureblood wizards for centuries, entrusting our secret with muggleborns will be our downfall!" And they were off again. Godric took a deep long breath while Salazar began on one of his rants which he would continue on, if left uninterrupted. They were trying to have a civil, private conversation. At Helga's insistence. She wanted them to discuss this without the influences of their other friends and he understood why, but the raising of their voices had drawn in the others, and like before the table had been divided into two halves. Godric and his comrades on one side and Salazar with his allies on the other.<p>

"That's ludicrous! Muggleborn children are no more a threat to us than those from old wizarding families. You're becoming paranoid!"

"This isn't paranoia. Your ignorance is blinding you from seeing the truth-" Godric refused to be insulted, he stood up across the table from Salazar, he'd lost count on how many times they'd done this.

"I've had more than enough of this! You and your fear of-"

"It's not about what I want. It's about allowing Hogwarts to live on after we're gone. Your carelessness will bring this castle back down to ruins!"

"_**Enough! Both of you!" **_Rowena's voice echoed against the stone walls of the castle. Godric turned to look at her, he found himself holding his breath as she walked in the room with Helga next to her. She wore a long royal blue gown that fitted tightly around her waist and fell loose from her hips. A wide collar exposed her delicate shoulders and her long neck, the rich colour of her gown brought out how pale she had become during the time she'd spent hidden away. Her dark hair was arranged neatly at the back of her head and she wore no jewelry, save the silver chain that hung around her hips, and the delicate silver embroidery around the collar of her gown and in some parts of the sleeves which hung loosely at her sides.

Her dark eyes took in the room and she lingered a moment to look at Godric before moving her eyes over to Salazar. She moved further into the room and went to stand at the head of the table, regarding both of them with a cold scrutiny that could only be attributed to Rowena Ravenclaw, though Godric had to admit. She was harder than before, there seemed to be nothing left of her never-ending curiosity which had fascinated him when he first met her. She was still beautiful, still wise and impressive, but there was something about Rowena that had been lost like a door had been shut tightly against everything around her. Godric hoped it wouldn't be forever.

"Would you all mind leaving us for a moment? I wish to speak to Salazar and Godric in private." She turned her cold gaze on everyone else and even Merwyn seemed to flinch under her dark stare as he scuttled out of the room with the rest of them, Helga moved to sit down across from Rowena who turned to look at them again.

"Rowena, I'm glad you're-" Salazar started and she turned her head at him swiftly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked him harshly and Godric couldn't help but feel sorry for Salazar. Rowena seemed to be fuming and he wouldn't want to be the brunt of it either.

"Pardon me?" Salazar was appalled at her question. "Godric refuses to see reason. There is nothing wrong with me."

"Reason?! You've really gone and lost your mind now haven't you! There is nothing bloody reasonable about accepting students based on their bloodlines." Godric shook his head, fully expecting to be supported by both Rowena and Helga but instead he was met with a cautious look from Helga and a glare from Rowena.

"Oh but accepting them _all _regardless of the chaos it will cause is?!"

"Stop it both of you!" Helga interrupted desperately and Godric turned to look at his oldest friend. Her golden hair was falling loose from her pins, and her cheeks were burning red as she looked as if she might cry.

"Helga please, say something."

"I won't. This is ridiculous, how can you two fight like this?! You're best friends!"

"That's irrelevant in this." Salazar said coolly and Godric felt himself fuming.

"Godric that's enough." Rowena spoke up before he could open his mouth, he glared right back at her for interrupting him. She was still standing when the rest of them were sitting and he was surprised at how much authority she had demanded over the room in a mere instant. "Salazar this is something that is not up for discussion. You two could fight over this your whole lives and still not agree." She held up a hand to him when he meant to interrupt her. "_All_ magically inclined children will be permitted to attend Hogwarts, for that is what we had in mind initially. There is a simple solution here which much to my dismay, neither of you have been able to think of."

Salazar looked insulted whereas Godric found himself merely curious as to what she could possibly have in mind that would settle this matter. "We will create houses."

"Houses?" Godric repeated sceptically and looked at Rowena with a great deal of doubt.

"Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin." Helga finished for her.

"While the children are here, their house will be like their family. The hub of their experience here at Hogwarts. Their accomplishments will earn them points, while breaking the rules will lose them points."

"And at the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup." Helga said more excitedly, clearly that part had been her idea.

"The point of all this being-?" Salazar drawled out looking at Rowena with a certain amount of disdain since he had already lost in his argument. Godric could tell that Salazar counted this as a defeat, not a compromise.

"That we can each select those students whom we find most worthy to keep in our houses. They will learn different values and a sense of community depending on which house they are part of. So you see Salazar, you can teach those whose blood is purest if it pleases you." Godric was about to object. He didn't like this idea much, instead of secluding them outside the school they would be secluding themselves within its walls. He wouldn't stand for any type of segregation among the students, he wanted it to be clear that they were all born equal, with magic in their blood, that was what mattered.

"Godric, this is the best solution for everyone." Helga spoke softly, he could hear the desperation in her voice, realizing only now what she must have been going through privately. He wasn't entirely sure how friendly she was with Salazar, and at the moment he didn't know how he felt about any of that but in any case, she didn't like any type of arguments. Especially one of these proportions, all they'd been doing the past few days was slinging insults at each other before retreating into their corners only to come back for more the next day.

"Godric?" Rowena waited for him to say something and he leaned back in his chair looking at her carefully.

"Very well then." He shrugged, conceding to her. He trusted her, more than he liked to admit. It didn't earn him a smile from her but she nodded and her face seemed to soften a bit as she turned to look at Salazar. They waited for him to answer them but instead he simply got up and moved away from the table he turned to her bowed, formally to her.

"As you wish Lady Ravenclaw." Godric knew that it was irrational, but the way Salazar spat the words at her made him want to throttle him. Rowena, unaffected as ever merely nodded and turned her gaze away from him as if he weren't worthy. The two of them were odd that way, they seemed to have a strange understanding of each other, one that Godric could never comprehend. Their love for knowledge was something that he admired but their cold disposition and the way they put up such a barrier between themselves and the outside world. Not to mention their arrogance and their ambition was startling. Especially now that Rowena seemed so hardened it looked to Godric as if they were cut out of the same cloth.

* * *

><p>"Rowena." Rowena could vaguely hear her name being called but she was seated in the back of the library, carefully glancing over a book about dragons. Ever since they'd arrived and seen the scorched stones of the castle ruins she was curious as to where they could have come from since there weren't many dragons left in England. At least not ones that were seen very often. "Rowena!" She frowned at the sound of Godric's booming voice as he found his way quite easily between the large bookshelves that formed a type of labyrinth. One could easily get lost in here but clearly it didn't bother Godric as he came around a corner and smiled at the sight of her.<p>

"Godric, do you realize this is a library?"

"No?! Really, and here I was look for a butterbeer." He chuckled and Rowena rolled her eyes. "Your powers of perception never cease to amaze Ravenclaw."

"What do you want Godric, can't you see I'm busy?"

"Hmm, dragons. Fascinating. Come on, let's go." He took her hand in his without asking and pulled her up with him. Her books and notes were left on the desk as she couldn't physically withstand Godric.

"Godric stop, where are we going?!"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"Merlin's beard Rowena, can't you just enjoy an excursion without having to know _everything._"

"Not when you drag me away from my work." She answered, completely sincere and slightly offended at his insinuation. The past few weeks everything had seemed back to normal. Or at least for everyone else it had. Helga was busy with getting everything prepared for the children, preparing the house-elves on what their responsibilities would be, while Salazar was diligently preparing his lessons and Rowena and Godric had been assigning different classes to the new professors who had only recently arrived. Godric turned to look at her, his eyes full of mischief and she narrowed hers at him. In the past, his obvious plans at disrupting hers would have made her laugh, or at the very least smile, but she hadn't been able to smile since she'd lost her baby.

"Drag you? Would you rather I carried you?" She widened her eyes and began pulling away as he was laughing already.

"Godric don't you dare! No!" She never stood a chance. Godric had her up and over his shoulder without much effort and Rowena couldn't help but scream, she lifted herself up enough to try and squirm out of his grip but he was big and his grip on her legs was impressive as he carried her outside. The sun was shining and Helga came running around a corner at the sound of Rowena's outrage. At the sight of her best friend who was giggling despite herself Rowena merely wanted to bury herself away, she felt humiliated and angry as he continued to carry her further down the field towards the forest. "Let go of me you big ogre!"

When he finally set her on her feet she realized she was standing next to her horse, and without warning he had hold of her waist and was lifting her up into the saddle. Rowena wasn't a big woman but she was surprised at the ease of which he could lift her. He smiled up at her and she let out an exasperated sigh as she glared at him.

"I can't believe you just did that!"

"Oh come now, it's just a bit of fun."

"It's humiliating. What if one of the professors had seen you doing that?"

"And?" He moved over to his own horse and rose into the saddle with no effort at all.

"You're incorrigible." She shook her head, taking the reigns of her horse, and hooking her leg into the pommel knowing that fighting him on this was useless at this point. And she was already outside now.

"Yes but you find me entertaining."

"Don't flatter yourself Gryffindor." They rode a little ways into the Forest when the trees grew denser and the light streaming down on them was being interrupted by the overlapping branches. "Godric, what exactly are we doing?"

"Exploring the Forest. We've left it for much too late."

"What?" For once in her life Rowena found that she was completely beyond comprehension. She had expected Godric to have brought her out here for a real reason, but instead they were just riding through the forest aimlessly. "You mean you don't know where we're going?"

"That's not the point. I want to see if the Forest is safe for the children. Helga wishes to teach the children a Care of Magical Creatures class. But I won't allow it unless I know the Forest is safe."

"That class can be taught inside."

"Yes the theory of it. But where's the fun in that?"

"Godric, I wonder if you've ever opened a book in your life." Godric boomed at that, his roaring laughter ringing through the trees.

"You continuously underestimate me Ravenclaw. Even after all this time."

"Well can you blame me?" She shook her head for a moment and then turned to look at him. "Answer me this then. How do you keep a Gryffindor in suspense?"

"I don't know, how?" She egged on her horse and bound off in a gallop as he was forced to trail behind her. She knew it would take him a moment to realize what she'd done, but she could already hear the hoofbeats falling behind her as she rode through the thick growth of the Forests. They raced on for awhile, not caring where they were, and though Rowena would never admit it, it felt good to be in the saddle. To be outside, the wind was rushing through her hair which had come undone during their unplanned excursion.

Godric frequently caught up to her, and then he would let her pass him for a bit, and she realized that he was doing this as much for her benefit as he was doing it for Helga's class. When they finally slowed down Rowena realized there was hardly any sound of the forest creatures around them. No birds, frogs, crickets, nothing. Just silence and the sound of Godric's horse as he caught up with her.

He was frowning, she knew he had already registered the silence and already acknowledged it as a threat. She saw him tighten on the reins and sweep them over to his left hand while he put his right hand on the hilt of his sword. Rowena felt in her pocket for her wand, Rosewood and dragon heartstring, she held her reins in her left hand and kept her wand lowered. They both continued on quietly, the only sound being made was that of their horses, and even they were on edge.

"Perhaps we should go back."

"I'd prefer to know what's out here first." Godric murmured back at her quietly, his focus was nowhere on her, his gaze was outward. But the tree line in the forest was so thick that they could hardly see anything. There was a sudden clicking sound and a branch cracked somewhere in the distance. Rowena and Godric both turned their heads at the same time, Godric unsheathed his sword and held it firmly in his hand. Rowena would never understand how he could favour a sword over his wand but he usually did.

Rowena didn't understand where the sound could be coming from, there were several of them in different directions but moving closer. It took her longer than it should have to discover what Godric did.

"Don't look up." He whispered at her, but Rowena didn't need to see to know that whatever it was, was quite large. Her horse's ears were going in different directions trying to determine where the sound was coming from before one of them came soaring down from the branches and down on the ground. An enormous spider, and where there was one there would be dozens more.

They were very quiet, for awhile, their horses, thank God were standing as still as possible while she was trying to assess this situation in her mind, while Gryffindor was undoubtedly doing the same.

"Gryffindor, Acromantula live in colonies. There'll be more of them." she whispered as quietly as she could. It was looking at them with eight big black eyes, and it was covered in hair. Their horses, thank Merlin, were being perfectly still. Sensing the danger of moving too quickly, or at all.

"Do they eat humans?"

"Most definitely." The thing moved faster than either of them could have anticipated. One moment it was staring at them almost blindly and the next it was scurrying towards them swiftly, lifting its head up to reveal its fangs. Godric's horse staggered towards the thing in defense, any silence that they had been hoping for was diminished when one of its long legs came flying at them and swept the horse down causing Godric to fall to the ground.

"_**Protego Duo!**_" Rowena pointed her wand at the thing and a silver shield poured from her wand, protecting her and Godric, he had rolled off his horse and stood right back up, sword in hand. The spider only took a few steps back before coming back at them and Godric stood ready but the spider was so large, Rowena's heart was leaping out of her chest at the sight of the thing coming towards them.

"_**Everte Statum!**_" An orange light appeared at the tip of her wand as the spider advanced towards them it made a horrible screeching sound before stumbling but even as it fell it scuttled upwards and moved towards Godric who moved forward, the spider's cry became even worse as he took off the spider's leg in one fell swoop as it tried to knock him over. Rowena thought for a moment that he would be perfectly alright but his other leg reached out behind Godric and knocked him over on his back just as the spider had regained his balance on it's other seven legs and was now rearing back to kill him.

"Impedimenta!" She shouted desperately and saw the thing halting its movement in mid-air before it fell onto Godric. "Godric?!" She got off her horse and moved around the spider's long legs, she almost fell in the darkness of the forest before she came to its head. It was perfectly still, but Rowena was still on edge. She took a quick look at it to be certain that it was dead, all the while keeping her ears open for the others, knowing that these things lived in colonies.

"_Alarte Ascendare_." The spider was lifted into the air as she quietly murmured the words to find Godric lying underneath the thing. His eyes were closed and his bloody sword was still in hand. "Godric?!" She knelt down next to him put her ear close to his mouth to hear he was still breathing. His chest was rising up and down softly, she moved so she could inspect him further, her main concern was if he'd been bitten by the damn thing, but there were no tears in his clothing large enough for the thing to have bitten him. "Godric, wake up!" She hissed as quietly as she could before shaking him. "Bloody hell Gryffindor, I can't carry you all the way back to the castle."

He grinned then, eyes still closed and started chuckling quietly.

"I'd have loved to see you try though."

"Damn you Godric! Get up!" She leaned back on her heels and Godric finally opened his green eyes, she smacked him on his chest, he groaned when she helped him stand and the two of them took a moment to look around, Rowena's eyes were now fixed on the dome-like spider web that was spun over their heads. She wanted to get out from under this thing. The darkness of the forest was completely discomforting to her now and she couldn't wait to get out. "Your horse is gone."

"He'll find his way home." Godric seemed to hardly care that he had nearly died. Rowena couldn't fathom his nonchalance at almost suffering from a horrific death by a giant spider. And if he hadn't been so bloody curious he wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place. He didn't really seem to notice that they had been moments away from an extremely painful and elongated death. Instead he wiped his sword clean quickly and sheathed it before moving towards her horse. He began removing the saddle, Rowena opened her mouth for only a moment before she realized they would never be able to ride together with her sidesaddle. Under normal circumstances she would have protested, insisted that he walk alongside her horse, but these weren't normal circumstances. And this was Godric, so when he held out his hand for her she allowed him to place his hands at her waist and help her up onto the horse before climbing on behind her. It was highly inappropriate, she should have been sitting behind him, but Godric was everything but traditional. She was determined to sit up straight but after half an hour of riding she couldn't help but lean into him, his big warm frame surrounded her and covered her from the cold air of the forest, somehow it had grown darker. She was relieved at least to be away from the bloody spiders, but she didn't feel they were getting any closer to the castle.

* * *

><p>"Godric, I think we're lost." She'd been quiet for nearly forty minutes, a record for Rowena Ravenclaw he supposed but he could tell she'd been reluctant to bring up their current situation for awhile now. She was leaning into him now, tired and agitated, he could hear it in her voice despite the fact that she was comfortably leaning against him.<p>

"Nonsense Ravenclaw, I know precisely where we are."

"Oh really? Tell me then, where are we?"

"Scotland!" He answered seriously and she let out a little giggle.

"Are you making fun of me Lord Gryffindor?"

"Only every chance I get Lady Ravenclaw." He chuckled for a moment as she fell silent again he moved his hand around her waist. He wanted to feel more of her, wanted her closer to him, but he was treading on thin ice already. He removed his wand out of his pocket and placed it on the palm of his hand. "_Point me_." He murmured and watched as his wand spun a little, like a compass before pointing him north.

"See, we're going that way." He pointed, they were going in the right direction, at least from what he could remember, from where the sun had been when he last saw it. Either way it must have been right because Rowena relaxed into him again as he tucked away his wand and moved his arm around her again to hold onto her. The smell of her perfume on her hair, and in her neck, a mixture of jasmine, violets and black currant seemed to be wafting up at him every time she moved, or the wind caught in her hair.

By the time they reached the castle they were both exhausted and disheveled. Godric got off her horse at the stables only to find that his horse had returned and was waiting for him patiently.

"Bloody coward." He muttered under his breath and Rowena giggled at him as he helped her down off her horse.

"Don't be so hard on him. We can't all be as maddeningly brave as Godric Gryffindor." She moved towards his horse and patted him gently on the nose. His horse seemed to appreciate the gesture, while Godric thought it was undeserving.

"I think it's safe to say that the Forest will be off-limits to the students." She smiled at him softly, but he had been hoping to make her laugh. She hadn't laughed in a while, and he missed hearing it, the ringing of her voice as she giggled and her face and eyes lighting up as she fell into a fit of laughter over something foolish. She caught his gaze on her suddenly and she turned her eyes back to his horse.

"Do you think I'll ever laugh again?" They knew each other too well, and Godric knew that his face could be rather expressive.

"Of course you will."

"When?"

"When something is truly and impossibly funny. And in the meantime the forest is off limits. To the students _and _Helga. If she goes in those woods she'll come back with Werewolf cubs." She smiled a soft sad smile again, nodding as she fell into step with him and they headed towards the kitchens. There was much clattering going on in the kitchens, Godric could hear Helga's voice ordering the house-elves around. It wasn't so much orders as it was polite requests, Helga was always too afraid to hurt anyone's feelings to just tell them what needed to be done. He could smell the food, the sweet breads and the butterbeer that was waiting for them before he realized that Rowena had stopped, he turned round to find her staring at him for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"I just-" She looked at him carefully, he could tell that whatever she was about to say had been thought over and considered a hundred times before she'd finally decided to say the words. She took a breath finally and directed a very slight smile his way. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not treating me as if I'm made of glass. For trying to make me laugh." Godric ran his hand through his hair, he could feel himself going red. He couldn't help but feeling put on the spot as she stood there staring up at him. Her big dark eyes expectant and genuinely smiling for the first time in weeks.

"You're welcome I suppose." He answered shortly, feeling somehow as if it weren't enough but her smile simply grew a bit wider before she moved past him and into the kitchen. Godric wanted to kick himself, he felt his heart drop back down from his throat to where it was supposed to be. It was only her that did this to him, no other woman could stir this kind of feeling in him, make him suddenly forget that he was completely famished and all by merely smiling at him. He took a breath before moving into the kitchen and being ambushed by Helga who instantly bulldozed him with a million questions about where they'd been and how deep into the Forest they'd gone, and what creatures they'd seen.

* * *

><p>Salazar was on his way back to his quarters when he saw her sitting outside. Sitting, on the cold front steps of the castle, leaning back, her head turned upward as she was looking at something beyond reach. Her long curly golden hair was falling to the ground and collecting there like a puddle of gold. Her neck was exposed and it forced his gaze down to her chest where her breasts were slowly moving up and down as she breathed. <em>Damn her. <em>Salazar thought to himself as he was forced to move outside despite himself. No other woman could distract him the way that Helga Hufflepuff did.

"Hufflepuff, what on earth are you doing here? It's getting cold."

"I'm just looking at the stars." She smiled without turning her head to look at him.

"You couldn't go up to the astronomy tower for that? Gods Helga you'll get sick sitting out here." She finally turned her head to look at him, her blue eyes lingering on him for only a moment before she settled them on the stars again, Salazar could see them reflected in her blue eyes and it only made him want to kiss her.

"Do I detect a hint of worry, Salazar?"

"Don't flatter yourself. The children are arriving tomorrow Helga. How horrid will you feel if you are sick in bed while they're all pouring into the castle." She frowned at him then and stood up.

"You know Salazar, sometimes I wonder if there's a romantic bone in your body."

"Don't count on it Hufflepuff." He didn't know why he had to be so hard on her. What puzzled him more is how it didn't deter her from caring for him. When he became like this, harsh and angry she simply smiled at him sweetly, knowingly and then walked away as she was doing now. Leaving him to stew in his own words, only Helga Hufflepuff could make him feel guilty for doing what came most naturally to him. The past few weeks had been strange between them, Salazar constantly felt angered and overlooked. He felt that they had passed over his opinions and his arguments, Rowena had been filled in by Helga and Godric, clearly she was siding with them because of it and he felt cheated. He couldn't help but acting on it, though he was civil towards them, something of their friendship had dwindled a little bit, and he wondered if it could ever be restored.

He had already come to realize though, that he would never completely regain his respect for Godric again. That had disappeared the moment he sided for those mudbloods. He wished it could be different, wished he could make them see but they were all so blinded by their love for children that they would run this place into the ground. Already he found himself resenting Godric, and Helga too at times. Sometimes he couldn't stand to be near her, around her optimism and her unwavering kindness. He hated it, because it was what had put them in this situation, that and Godric's misguided sense of duty and honour.

"Salazar come inside." Rowena's voice appeared out of nowhere and he turned his head to find her standing in the large doorway of the castle. Her hair was all undone and loose around her shoulders but messier than usual, she had a healthy glow to her skin, something he hadn't seen in a long time, her cheeks were slightly flushed and her lips weren't so pale as before.

"Where have you been all day?" He moved towards her, and she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow with a comfort that they had come to share between each other.

"In the Forest with Godric. We came across an acromantula."

"How fascinating." He encouraged Rowena to continue as they moved past a room where he saw Helga sitting at the window and looking up at the sky again, it wouldn't have surprised him so much if it hadn't been for the heartbreaking look that was on her face. She looked upset and somewhat forlorn, the realization that he'd been too harsh with her struck him and it made his heart cringe knowing that he was the cause of her distress. _Damn her. _He thought, now he'd have to make it up to her.

* * *

><p>"Godric wake up!" Godric shot up in his bed, confused and not at all well-rested. Helga was in his room scurrying around, opening shutters and lighting the fire, his clothes were being swept off the floor magically as she finally moved around and jumped on his bed. "The children are coming today."<p>

"Bloody hell, Helga you couldn't have let me sleep-" Godric felt as if he was eleven years old again and Helga was waking him up to tell him something he could hardly care about. Although he was excited for the children to arrive, he was equal parts nervous, he was worried about what would happen if all the children were homesick, or if their parents suddenly decided that it wasn't worth the risk. He didn't tell all this to Helga instead he buried his head under the covers and tried to close his eyes again.

"Oh come on Gryffindor! Wake up." She pulled the covers back and jumped up and down on his bed a bit, shaking him all the while. When he finally opened his eyes he only did so to grab her around her waist and pull her down to lay next to smiled at him, her blue eyes bright and shining as she was looking forward to the children arriving and all the excitement they would bring. "Today is going to be a good day."

Godric merely smiled at her and nodded before he got up and got ready for the day. He hoped Helga was right.

* * *

><p>Students from the ages of eleven and thirteen till about eighteen were piled into the entrance hall of the castle. Having arrived in carriages drawn by thestrals they were all murmuring to each other in excitement as they came walking up the steps and were met by Salazar and Rowena. Both of them standing very still, waiting for them. Rowena was dressed in a royal blue bliaut with silver detailing on the sleeves and collar. She wore a silver belt that hung loosely on her hips and then fell down almost to the ground, her dark hair was pulled back but hung down between her shoulders, revealing her long slim neck as she regarded all the children carefully while they continued to pour into the castle. There were so many of them, and though she was excited she refused to let a smile pass her lips, instead she stood carefully where she was. Hands folded delicately in front of her, back straight, waiting for them to be quiet.<p>

Salazar stood next to her, similar to Rowena, he had his back straight and was watching all the children with a cold calculation written on his face. He realized that the two of them must seem frightening as the more children took notice of them, the more the room became silent. His grey eyes were searching them intently as if he was already sorting through them. His dark hair was slicked back to reveal his high cheekbones and his cool grey eyes. He stood a step higher than Rowena, dressed in his dark green tunic, his black coat lined with fur, and his silver pendant that held his family's serpent inlaid with green stones forming the letter S.

These were the older children, they would be sorted into years two through seven, depending on their age and their previous knowledge of magic. And they would be sorted into their houses as well. The first years were to arrive later, and to be sorted into their houses last. When at last they were all quiet Rowena looked at them all carefully and began telling them what their time at Hogwarts would entail. Despite the intimidating front that both Rowena and Salazar clearly were putting up, the children's faces were filled with excitement and curiosity. Rowena and Salazar though feigning disinterest were amused to see the amazement on their little faces as they waited impatiently for them to speak.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." Rowena began, her voice ringing clear and echoing slightly off the stone walls of the castle as she gazed over all of them. "Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and the start-of-term-banquet will begin,-"

"but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses." Salazar continued for her the way they had arranged it before.

"The sorting is a very important ceremony because while you are here your houses will be something like your family within Hogwarts." Rowena thought it important for them to understand these things. "You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."

"The Four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin." He named the Houses slowly adding much weight to each name, already he could see a few young witches and wizards whispering among themselves, hoping to be sorted into one House or the other. "Each house has its own noble history and each is lead by an outstanding witch or wizard."

"While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points. Any rule-breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Salazar's eyes lingered for a moment on a boy whose robe was fastened oddly since he'd missed a button, the boy promptly began fixing it, while others resumed flattening their hair and discussing among themselves how precisely they were to be sorted.

* * *

><p>Helga could have never imagined the splendour of this place, this castle that they had built. When she'd walked into the Great Hall finally, with everything in its place and made ready for the children it was so much more than anything they could ever have hoped for. The Great Hall was lit by thousands upon thousands of candles floating in mid-air over four long tables that were littered with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where all the teachers would sit, four seats had been left free in the center of it for the four of them. The other teachers were already seated. Helga had been so busy in the kitchens and talking to the house-elves that she'd been completely shocked and surprised when she walked into the Great Hall and looked up to see that the ceiling was no longer there. Instead there was a beautifully dark blue sky dotted with stars, as if the Great Hall simply opened up to the heavens.<p>

"Godric did you-"

"You must be joking, clearly this is Rowena's doing." Godric laughed at the suggestion, enchantments like this weren't his strength but Rowena was a master at them.

"No, this wasn't me." Rowena walked in calmly, hardly even looking up at the change in the Great Hall.

"This way you don't have to freeze to death outside when you want to look at the stars." Salazar answered all their questions in an unexpected statement that was so monotonous and matter-of-factly towards Helga that it almost contradicted the act. Godric looked at the two of them in surprise, unsure of what he should make of all this. Clearly it was very romantic of him to do something so grand for Helga but he hadn't expected any kind of romantic gesture to come from Salazar, for anyone, ever.

"The children are waiting outside." Rowena interrupted his train of thought with her soft, serene voice and Helga continued on in her excitement.

"I think Uric should fetch them." She smiled brightly.

And so Uric brought them into the Great Hall where they all clamoured around, the sound of their young voices echoed against the walls as they took in the sheer amount of magic that surrounded them. Godric had to admit that it was all a bit much, even for him. They had spent so many years in hiding that to be at Hogwarts, where it was safe, they had indulged themselves in it quite a bit. Godric couldn't help but smile at all of them and their curious faces as they stood in the centre of the Great Hall looking up and at all the teachers before their eyes landed on the four of them. They were each standing in front of the table designated for their house. Hufflepuff first, then Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and finally Slytherin. Each of them dressed richly in the colours of their house with their banners hanging above each table.

"In Slytherin we'll teach only those whose ancestry is purest."

"In Ravenclaw, only those whose intelligence is surest."

"In Gryffindor, I'll teach those with brave deeds to their name."

"And in Hufflepuff, I'll teach the lot and treat them just the same."

"When we call your name, you will take your place at your house table." Godric called out, his deep voice booming over their heads before he began. They called out names one by one and slowly but surely the four tables became filled with students. When they were finished it was time for the first-years. They were smaller than all the rest and nervous, when they all came in, in their black robes, with their little hats on they looked frightened and excited as they took in everything around them. Their older classmates already seated at the house tables. As they waited for their names to be called out the older children applauded them with every new member to their house, and the four of them could all tell that each child was already being embedded with a sense of belonging merely through being surrounded by children like them. Godric had been worried that by dividing them all into houses they would become secluded from each other, and there would be too much competition but he could see now that it was more about belonging than seclusion.

Once they were all seated and the four of them had moved to their seats at the centre of the high table Helga stood up on Godric's left side and smiled at him for a moment before she held up a finger to silence the room. She watched as both Godric and Salazar looked surprised at her ability to command a room so easily before she began.

"And now, let the feast begin..." With a flick of her wrist the empty bowls and dishes on the tables were filled with food. The Great Hall was filled with a unanimous gasp as everyone took in the different dishes they had to choose from. Godric began filling his plate with potatoes, ribs, roast beef and roast chicken without hesitating. Despite all the excitement the four of them were rather quiet towards each other, Helga felt as if she were one of the students. Though everything had been planned out very carefully, this was all so new to them that she had no idea what to expect of the days to come.

When Godric finally got up it was to finally announce the end of the feast and to order the children to their dormitories. The children that walked behind him ranged from some very small and scrawny eleven year olds to some brave looking eighteen year olds.

"Look, the paintings are moving!" One of the younger muggle-born children took notice of the portraits that lined the walls as they moved up the great staircase and into the halls.

"This is usually the most direct way to the dormitories but mind the staircases, they like to move." The children all gasped and pointed as a group of Slytherins with Salazar at the head of them were being turned in a different direction as they went down into the dungeons. Salazar was completely unmoved while his own students, though attempting to appear disinterested were clearly thrown off balance by the large moving pieces of marble.

Godric guided them through a series of sliding panels and hanging tapestries, and several doors before they finally came to a halt in front of a painting of a very large woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" She breathed in what he guessed was meant to be a seductive voice.

"Flibbertigibbet." Godric answered calmly and then entered through a hole which he admittedly had made a bit too small for his big frame, he had to bend over severely to fit through it, and once they were inside all the students clamoured into the common room, a comfy rounded room with several armchairs and a roaring fireplace, there were several tables with comfortable chairs for them to sit around. "Alright now, gather 'round." The children did as they were told, some of them craning their necks quite a bit to look up at him, making him realize how small they really were, or how big he was. "Welcome to the Gryffindor common room. Boys rooms upstairs and down to your left, girls the same on your right. You'll find all your belongings have already been brought up to your rooms. Be sure to come to breakfast no later than eight o'clock since you will receive your timetables for this term's classes. Classes begin at 9 o'clock. And please do pay attention to the time; you are not permitted to leave your common rooms after 9 o'clock in the evening, anyone who does so will lose points for Gryffindor." They all nodded seriously at him before he wished them all a goodnight and moved to go to his own bed. He felt exhausted already and he had no idea what would be in store for them tomorrow. He suddenly felt as if a big weight had been put upon him, heavier than it had been before because now it was real.

* * *

><p>"Late, Mr. Brandon!"<p>

"Sorry, Professor Ravenclaw. We got lost."

"Then perhaps a map? Sit down if you please. Charms is not an easy subject, in this class you will learn specific wand-work and most importantly pronunciation. Please, pay attention in this class because I guarantee you that everything you learn here, will be highly applicable in everyday life. Mark my words ladies and gentlemen, charm-work is essential to performing the greater part of magic." Rowena spoke clearly as Mr. Brandon and his friend scuttled to their seats. This class wasn't nearly as horrifying as her transfiguration class had been, though it was only their first day, and she realized she ought to be patient, she was finding it difficult to handle the constant dumbfounded looks she received from them.

* * *

><p>Salazar rushed through the halls, his temper rising, he had to see Helga. Had to hear her giggle or laugh, or say something so completely light-hearted and ridiculous that it made him forget the predicament he was in. Merlin's beard he hated this!<p>

"Woa, Slytherin. What's the hurry?" Godric's voice boomed and made Salazar stop in his tracks, he turned his head to see Godric in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom as a few students were filing out excitedly. Clearly Godric was a much more exciting professor than he was. He moved into the classroom, past the students wondering what precisely it was that was making him want to speak to Godric. He missed their friendship, it was true, not that he would ever admit it however. But Godric had always been easy to speak to, and had always been able to provide him with a good distraction, even when he thought it was completely moronic. "What's the matter Salazar? You look like someone kicked your cauldron." Godric chuckled and Salazar merely returned it with a dark look as they stepped into Godric's office above the classroom they sat down across from each other and Salazar shook his head. Godric was already amused, his curly red hair, a mess on top of his head, his beard had grown a bit longer, and though Salazar was growing his too, it wasn't nearly as unruly as Godric's. He kept his hair combed back, and his beard trimmed neatly.

"I don't know how you tolerate them Godric."

"Tolerate who?"

"The children, I swear even the simplest task elicits this look from them as if I had just asked them to cut off their own hand." Godric's laugh echoed through the room as he sat down heavily in his seat.

"You must be patient with them Salazar."

"There's patience and then there's idiotic hopefulness." Again Godric laughed and this time Salazar joined in.

"I'll admit they're not nearly as far along as I'd hoped they would be. But that doesn't mean we should give up."

"No, we've come much too far now to ever turn back." He admitted and even though he had disagreed with the way things had been arranged they were in this, and in this together. Speaking to Godric now, he realized that Godric, although misguided had never lost sense of that and that brought Salazar some kind of relief. They were quiet for a moment before they both decided to go downstairs to the Great Hall for supper when they stopped to see Helga and Rowena ardently caught up in a seemingly important conversation. Helga's round face was caught in the closest thing she did to a frown and Rowena looked serious and calculating as she had on her 'learning face'.

"How long have you been in love with Helga?" Godric suddenly asked him seriously and Salazar turned to look at him. Never before had he looked so much like the lion in his crest. His red mane standing wildly on end around his serious and determined face, his green eyes blazing with honesty and passion. Part of Salazar wanted to knock him off that high horse which he tended to sit on but instead he met Godric's blazing eyes with his own cool unrelenting grey eyes and stared back at him.

"I don't see how it's any of your business Gryffindor."

"Salazar, for Merlin's sake she's like a sister to me. And you're my best friend, I know both of you well enough to know that if something happens, the only one who's going to end up with a broken heart is her."

"Leave it alone Gryffindor. I already know where this is going." Salazar said exasperated, he wished they could have just had their little peace-making moment and then moved on, but instead Godric had to ruin it again. He couldn't leave well-enough alone.

"Salazar-" Godric's voice had turned to a deep warning and Salazar wished for once he could stand taller than his friend, but he found that his cold stare could be almost as unsettling as Godric's size.

"Godric, you're going to tell me one of two things, you're either going to tell me to take the best of care of her, which I am already trying to do, or you're going to tell me to leave her be, before she gets hurt, but Godric I'm telling you right now, and I won't ever say it again. I would never leave her, not unless _she _asks me to." Salazar wasn't entirely sure where the protective streak in him came from but something about Godric threatening his relationship with Helga made him increasingly angry as he stood toe to toe with his friend. Realizing very quickly that there were certain things they would never be able to agree on, and though Godric believed that they could be friends regardless of them Salazar wasn't entirely sure that was true.

* * *

><p>"Malcolm MacFusty!" Rowena's voice had never sounded so shrill as she ordered the young boy to come stand in front of her. Her cheeks were beginning to glow pink and her dark eyes were blazing as the boy came towards her with his head hanging low. "There will be no foolish wand-waving in the halls! Most certainly not to turn the gargoyles into living dragons!"<p>

"But Professor Ravenclaw, the spell was in our transfiguration-"

"Impressive though your transfiguration skills may be Mr. MacFusty, I will not have you endangering the other students for your experimentations. Five points from Gryffindor." Her Scottish accent grew thicker the angrier she got and Godric couldn't help but smile at the sternness in her voice mixed with the clear surprise at his mastering such a complex curse.

"But Professor Ravenclaw I was only-"

"That's enough of that Mr. MacFusty, or you'll lose another five points for talking back." Godric stepped into the room and gave Malcolm a stern look though he was secretly proud of his accomplishments. "Now run along with yeh, or you'll be late for your potions class."

"Before you go Malcolm. Ten points to Gryffindor for mastering the Draconifors spell. Just- don't do it outside the classroom again." Rowena huffed exasperated, Malcolm grinned before turning to the door and running to his next class before he lost more points than he'd earned.

"Don't you dare look at me like that Gryffindor, those students of yours are more trouble than they're worth."

"Nonsense, they're just spirited, they're adventurous."

"They're trouble, just like you. Though I'm not entirely sure what the Longbottom boys are doing in Gryffindor." He smiled at that, realizing that she thought him to be trouble, for some reason he found that intensely amusing.

"Don't you worry about the Longbottoms, there's more courage in them than even they know." Rowena tilted her head to the side and regarded him with a sense of curiosity before she gave him a small smile. "How are your classes? You don't look nearly as exasperated as Salazar does." She giggled and moved around him, she lifted papers off her desk with her wand and everything disappeared neatly into cabinets around her rooms, books were piled back onto her desk and into bookshelves. He wanted to move closer to her, smell the perfume on her hair again and see the flush in her cheeks when she stood too close to him.

"Poor Salazar, I understand how he feels. My transfiguration class seems completely lost most of the time. With the exception of Mr. MacFusty of course."

"Well, say what you will about us Gryffindors, but we provide excitement. Besides you Ravenclaw's don't precisely keep to the rules yourselves." He moved closer behind her and lowered his voice, forcing her to turn around and look at him. He had expected her to move back and for a moment when she caught him so close she seemed shocked, but it only lasted a moment before she tilted her clever head and stood her ground.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, and not all Gryffindors are half-witted courageous fools you know." He joked and she smiled, something that lifted him up to the ceiling. Seeing her smile made his entire frustrating day worthwhile.

"Well perhaps there's hope for you yet." She said, her voice as quiet as his, Godric would have moved closer, wrapped his arms around her waist as clearly the connection between the two of them wasn't imagined. He could feel the heat coming off her, her passion and mischief hidden carefully behind her curiosity and intelligence. That searching look that she had once given him had suddenly returned but he wasn't sure if she found what she was looking for. He wished he understood what it was that she saw. Those dark eyes of hers were mysterious and mesmerizing, like the deepest part of the lake outside the school.

"Godric, Rowena! Some of the children are missing!"

"What?" Rowena turned to look at Helga who had run into the room frantically. "Are you sure they're not in the dormitory?"

"Yes, we've searched for them everywhere, we even sent out some of the ghosts. The paintings reported them sneaking off through a secret passageway under the Gunhilda's statue." Salazar spoke calmly and Rowena turned her head to look at Godric who instantly turned red in the face. Gunhilda's statue had been her idea and he had turned it into the entrance to a secret tunnel leading out of the castle.

"Really Gryffindor, at least our hidden passageways are _hidden_."

"It is _hidden_." He answered offended at Salazar's snide remark. "Let's just go find them shall we?"

* * *

><p>It was a long tunnel, one that Godric had created as an emergency escape. It would take you through a winding darkness that felt like forever before it moved in a climbing motion towards the surface again and came out in a clearing just outside the small town of Hogsmeade, an all wizarding village which wasn't really much more than a few farms with thatched houses. When they came out they were surrounded by silence and darkness.<p>

"_Lumos_." they all lit their wands and took a good long look around for any of the students.

"Where could they have possibly gone?" Helga took a turn about and narrowed her eyes at the trees of the dark forest.

"Who knows with a bunch of Gryffindors?" Rowena let out sarcastically.

"May I remind you lady Ravenclaw that your students are among the little buggers as well." Godric chuckled, hinting at their previous conversation.

"Merlin's beard it doesn't matter. We have to find them." Helga was worried and Godric felt guilty for making light of this situation.

"I don't think they'd have gone into town, there's nothing there really." Rowena remarked, trying to calm Helga.

"Only because Hengist hasn't had a chance to build a tavern yet." Salazar commented, Rowena and Godric couldn't help but laugh, though Helga wasn't at all amused.

"It looks like we might have to go into the Forest." Rowena realized quickly and glanced over at Godric, she looked worried but then she smiled smartly. "Are you missing your sword Gryffindor?"

"My wand will do just fine thank you." They walked into the darkened woods, Godric made a point of checking the branches above him as often as he checked the ground and took comfort in the sound of the forest night-life that surrounded them. The Forest was dark and damp this time and Godric felt as though something was lurking behind every branch. He had never been lacking in bravery but that didn't mean that he didn't experience fear, he just chose to ignore it. Rowena called him a fool for it, but he believed that fear would cripple a man until he was nothing. After walking very deeply into the forest they reached a wall of rock, creating a divide in their path going two different directions.

"Why on earth would they go this way?"

"It doesn't matter, clearly they did." Rowena moved closer to the protruding stone and pointed at a hat that clearly belonged to one of their students. It had been left neatly on a little ledge, Godric guessed so that they could find their way back.

"Did they go left or right?" Helga asked carefully casting her light out as far as it would go. All anyone could see was more woods, and stone.

"Who knows? We should split up." Godric answered her.

"You two go left, Helga and I will go right."

"I don't like this. Be careful will you." Helga muttered and turned her large blue eyes on Godric who was about to answer before Rowena interrupted.

"Oh don't worry, I'll protect Godric." Helga smiled and Salazar let out a rare chortle before the four of them split up.

"Merlin's beard we better find them and soon." Rowena whispered in the darkness, she wasn't entirely sure how it happened but somehow she was continuously ending up in the woods with Godric.

"The school will be ruined if something happens to them." Godric confirmed and they continued on before Rowena noticed something on the rock, just a little further from where she was.

"Godric stop. Look at this." She called out to him, as loudly as she dared to go in these woods, considering what had happened last time. She moved closer to it and found a pin with the Ravenclaw emblem on it. Godric was behind her, shining his light over her shoulders and standing just a little too close for comfort. She hated the proximity, hated that it only reminded her of the time that they'd ridden back to the castle together and she'd felt so comfortable leaning into him, having his arms around her. It frustrated her that the memory of it came to her mind so often she daydreamed about it.

She was daydreaming about Godric. That in and of itself was a problem. "What are you thinking clever Ravenclaw?" His deep voice resonated in her ear as he spoke softly behind her.

"I think they're in trouble." She turned her head to look at him and he was focused on the pin in her hand. His green eyes were cast downward, and his blazing red hair was hanging in his face. Moments like these, she hated his handsome features. "Ah- This pin wasn't torn it was left behind."

"Clever Ravenclaws. Seems your books do come in handy." It was a joke that Rowena could no longer laugh at, seeing this pin made her realize that one of her students had left it behind deliberately. Meaning that they were in fact in trouble and leaving behind something to follow.

"Do you hear that?" She held up a finger to her lips and Godric tilted his head quietly listening. There was a low murmuring coming from up ahead, and a glow through the darkened tree-line. Godric took a good long look upwards into the tree branches before he lifted Rowena up. She gasped quietly but then quickly realizing what he intended to do, pulled herself up into the tree. Godric climbed up without an effort, though Rowena was balancing precariously on the thin branches. Godric chuckled a moment and then took hold of her so she could steady herself. Once they were both steady they turned towards the glow. It was quiet but they could hear the murmuring had turned to a full on conversation.

"Who do yeh think they are?"

"Witches, conjurers. Devil spawn. They're evil I tell you. Look at their strange clothes, and you saw what they can do." Rowena was furious just hearing the conversation, she wanted to reach out her magic and harm the villains where they stood but she couldn't.

"Anyway, it don' matter. We'll fetch a pretty price for bringin em in so they can be burnt."

"As they should be!"

"I'd like to see you try you stupid mangy poacher!"

"Oy! Who you calling stupid?!"

"You, you big oaf!" Rowena rolled her eyes as Godric's lit up. That would be one of his students, undoubtedly.

"You best be careful, or I'll-"

"I wouldn't if I were you." A quiet girl's voice rang out clearly over the rest just as Godric apparated the two of them a little closer. Rowena could see one of her Ravenclaws sitting quietly in the corner of the cage, seemingly bored with what was going on. Her pin was missing from her robe and Rowena breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't listen to her Henry! The devil speaks through them, she'll enchant you with her words."

"That's right Henry, what if we are witches? Do you really think you'll get away with murdering us? Haven't you heard, where there's one, there's a dozen more. And we come for you in the night, take your babies and leave a changeling behind so we can cook them and eat them while they're nice and juicy."

"That one's got a dark sense of humour Rowena." Godric whispered carefully in the darkness.

"Or maybe we'll simply put a curse on you and your house. So that you'll be impotent and never have the pleasure of another woman again,"

"- or another man, since it seems you find your pleasure elsewhere but the arms of a woman." One of the other boys, a tall scraggly one had stood up and was now leaning against the bars of their cage, whispering the words venomously and scaring the man who had started the conversation. The others were now backing away from him as if he had the plague.

"You see Henry, we know all. And you can't kill us. Not even by fire." They were now in an uproar, as the children laughed menacingly, the blonde girl at their centre, she had stood up now and was staring carefully at the man as his comrades had turned on him in this dangerous revelation.

"I've heard enough." Rowena interjected an apparated herself on the other side of the circle. She heard the quick whisp of Godric on the opposite side as the men suddenly turned to face her in shock. One of them was quick enough to grab hold of his knives while Rowena stunned the one nearest to her and returned wands to their students. There was a sudden scream to her left, causing her to turn rapidly she found one of the younger girls being held by one of the muggle brutes. The sight of one of her students so blatantly in danger of their life set something loose in her that she'd never recognized before. There was a protective streak she'd never felt before and an anger towards the bastards who dared threaten her students.

"_**Immobulus!**_" The charm was out before he knew what had happened and he was rendered immobile, the student wormed her way out of his grip and much to Rowena's surprise she ran towards her, gripping her tightly. She was crying, and Rowena suddenly felt pulled back to the times when she'd had to comfort Helga when she was homesick and missing Godric. She gave her a good steadying hug back but then pushed her backwards. "Listen to me carefully, find the others and hide in the trees. Don't come out until we tell you." The child was quick enough to nod and then run off, grabbing one of the other boys and pulling them into the tree line.

Rowena had always been an impressive witch, but everytime they stood alongside each other like this, Godric was surprised. Her passion and ferocity was something he overlooked until moments like these, and they were few and far in between. She was quick and accurate, never missing her target. She could have hit her own student just then but she didn't, and hesitation wasn't in her nature either. It happened so quickly though, Godric barely saw it when he moved for it. Something instinctively pushing him to stop it any way he could, he started running, apparated the rest of the way, realizing he would get there faster but when he did, he misjudged his landing causing both of them to go crashing into the ground.

"Reducto!" The sound of a small and squeaky voice rang over the clearing to rid them of their last assailant who had attempted to throw a knife at Rowena, Godric lifted himself off her slightly, he thought for a short moment that he'd hurt her, or he'd been too late. Her eyes were closed and she was still.

"Rowena?" He was out of breath and his body hurt from exertion, he thought it slightly strange, but then he hadn't seen battle in a while. He moved his hands over her, placing a hand on her cheek, her skin was warm and he could feel her breath on his skin. "Rowena, are you alright? Ro?!" He raised his voice and realized that he sounded slightly desperate, the memory of her being hurt as she had been before; so frail and broken terrified him. It scared him more than any monster or army he'd ever faced. "Ro- please wake up." He said, his voice lower now.

"Gryffindor?" She moved, blinked at him and tilted her head backwards, revealing her neck towards him before she raised her eyebrows, eyes closed again. "That had better be your wand in your pocket." She warned, her voice low and mocking. Godric chuckled, relief washing over him, if she was making fun of him then clearly she was perfectly fine.

"Well it's too small to be anything else." He breathed the reply naughtily into her ear. She laughed, she opened her dark eyes and laughed at the coarseness of his reply, her humour returning to her as she covered her mouth as if she was embarrassed at her own amusement.

"I suppose you're alright then?" Her giggles disappeared and she nodded, still smiling.

"Help me up would you?" He moved off her and pulled her up with him, the pain in his body multiplying, he had to steady himself by leaning on her.

"Are _you _alright?"

"Heh, I think so." He tried to smile and straighten up but something was causing him to wince. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this much pain, so suddenly. He'd been fine just a moment ago.

"Erm, Professor I don't think you are." Godric turned slightly looking behind him to see where the squeaky voice had come from, it was a Hufflepuff who had cast that final spell to blow away their opponent. Helga would have been proud but he frowned at the young girl nonetheless. Rowena moved away from him and turned him to see what the girl was trying to point out, she gasped slightly and then turned him towards her again.

"What? What is it?!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's note: <em>**_theeehee... sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I promise I'll try to do better. As you can all see the strife between the founders has already taken root... Leave me reviews, comments, send me notes please. I really want to know what everyone thinks about this one... Because J.K. Rowling is so iconic, it's been really hard writing these characters._


	7. Nargles

He was in pain, pretending he wasn't but he was, the blade that had been meant for her had struck him in his back instead. She was afraid to remove the blade for fear of setting something loose, making it worse than it already was, but he was bleeding severely already and she couldn't apparate him back to the castle and leave the children behind.

"Take the children back first, come back for me."

"Don't be stupid, it will take too long. We'll take you with us."

"I'll slow you down, and there might be others coming. We made quite a ruckus." He laughed and then leaned heavily on her. She turned to find the little Hufflepuff.

"You, what's your name?"

"Bridget Wenlock, my Lady Ravenclaw." The little girl squeaked back at her pushing back her spectacles. She had dark hair and blue eyes that were bright but weary as if she spent too much time pouring over books, much like Rowena once had, except the poor child looked disheveled.

"Get the other children, we need to get to the castle."

"Rowena, I'm telling you."

"Oh save your breath Godric. You've told me already and I'm choosing to ignore you. No point in arguing is there?" She huffed at him pulling him with her as best she could. She wasn't leaving him behind, not for a second. Her heart was beating faster now than it had before as the other children came out of their hiding spots, she recognized her own Ravenclaw students and one or two others, including. "MacFusty! Make yourself useful, let him lean on you for just a moment."

"Yes Professor." Malcolm moved to Gryffindor's other side and crawled under his heavy arm while Rowena moved towards each of the men, they were all of them either frozen or unconcsious, she saw now that there were four of them. Where were Helga and Salazar? She was beginning to worry they'd gotten lost somewhere in the woods now, or they'd come across something else.

"Ignatia Wildsmith am I right?" She turned to the Ravenclaw girl who had been clever enough to create a distraction within the group to bide them some time. She nodded seriously in reply, stepping forward ready to help.

"Have you read the chapter on memory charms? Do you think you could perform an Obliviate charm succesfully?"

"Yes Professor."

"Good, get to it then." They moved swiftly and carefully before she returned to Godric and got all the children to walk in front of her, she didn't want something creeping up behind them.

Godric was right, she could hear hoofbeats in the distance as they were trying to move as quickly as they could through the woods towards the secret tunnel. Godric was heavy and seriously hurt, though he was trying to walk by himself as best he could. The blade in his back had seriously affected him. Rowena could feel her heart beating out of her chest, she was afraid of what would happen if they got caught again, what would happen if someone came in their direction, was clever enough to pick up their tracks. Muggles weren't to be underestimated when it came to hunting and they were terrifyingly determined when it came to hunting witches.

"Ro-" She didn't know if he'd decided to give her a nickname or if he was just in too much pain to fully pronounce her name. Either way she knew where he was going with this and she wouldn't have any of it.

"Be quiet Gryffindor. Keep walking, it's not much longer."

"You're a horrible liar Ravenclaw." His breath was coming in laboured and she was now officially worried, about him, about her students. She had to get them out of there and the hoofbeats were coming quicker and moving closer to them. Suddenly the sound of the horses stopped, very swiftly there was an eary silence that lingered over the woods all that could be heard was the wind in the trees. And even the trees seemed to be keeping quiet. When the silence was finally broken it was by a howling, loud and clear and much too close for comfort. "Leave me. Now! I'll hold them off."

"We're not leaving you professor." MacFusty answered for her and she couldn't help but smile as she patted Godric on the chest gently while the howling was answered by more cries in the night. Loud and all around them.

"Are those werewolves?" One of the children sounded frightened.

"Ro- Stop." He stopped moving, and he really was too big for them to carry so he was forcing her to stop.

"Godric don't make me use my wand on you." She warned and he turned towards her, taking his arm off MacFusty and leaning on her slightly. She hated his foolhardy bravery, even now when he might be dying he was giving her that infuriating smile. He moved his hand onto her cheek and his smile grew a little wider. His green eyes were glittering with the same mischief that constantly puzzled her. She wanted to knock it out of him sometimes but then there were other times when it was what she admired in him the most.

"Go hide up in the trees." He ordered the students and pushed MacFusty away from the two of them. "Go on! And stay hidden."

"This is a bad idea Gryffindor." He pushed her to his side slightly and reached for his wand as they both turned to face what was coming, the sound of horses growing closer, it sounded dangerous and Rowena found herself gripping Godric's hand very tightly while holding her wand at the ready with the other.

"Have courage Ravenclaw." He gave her hand a squeeze and stood as tall as he could make himself. She wondered how he did it, he was so stubborn and foolhardy. But it was now that she saw his bravery, and his protective streak like she hadn't before. The blade that was lodged in his back would have struck her heart and killed her if he hadn't intervened when he did. The muggles were probably coming nearer, the sound of their horses implying that there were a great deal of them, if they were armed then they could possibly overpower them, and now there were werewolves; Rowena couldn't help but be afraid. She had lived her whole life in fear of what would happen if she was ever captured by muggles. They had erased the memories of those men as best as they could but finding them all unconsious and frozen would cause their suspicions to rise as to what had done it to them.

A branch snapped somewhere behind them and they turned, peering into the darkness of the forest, she could suddenly hear more of them crawling through the bushes. She knew they were probably getting ready to pounce, having caught their scent now they wouldn't be able to run very far without being tracked. The silence was steadily replaced by snarling but not a single one of them had moved into their line of sight. Something that worried her, she didn't know where they would strike from first. They turned again, now she and Godric had their backs towards each other. This way at least they could cover each other but she wished Helga and Salazar were here to help defend them. One of the werewolves moved forward, big looming and dangerous. Snarling at them as it stood on its hind quarters, towering over her. He coiled himself up, his shoulders hunched. She could tell he was about to pounce on her.

"Flipendo!" She started and knocked the creature backwards but he was replaced by another. She heard Godric casting spells back and forth, there were so many of them, and the moment they hit one they were replaced with another. She had no idea werewolves traveled in packs this large. She hadn't been afraid until Godric's voice disappeared and she couldn't feel him behind her anymore, and the sound of hoofbeats had returned when suddenly a large black and grey werewolf was leaping towards her.

"Locomotor Mortis!" She locked its legs but had to scurry backwards quickly since it had already leaped into the air. She tripped over a branch and continued to crawl backwards while it was snarling and reaching for her.

The hoofbeats were growing closer and Rowena thought her heart might stop out of fear when she turned around to get up she was forced to duck from hooves flying over her.

They weren't muggles, they were centaurs, large, regal and beautifully dangerous. They appeared quickly, forming an inner and outer circle, moving around them so that there was no way of them escaping this formation. Rowena didn't know much about them. No one really did apart that they existd. Rowena knew they were proud and intuitive like horses they were immensely clever. Once the werewolves had crawled back into the darkness they turned to look at Rowena.

"Witches." Rowena was turning about trying to look between them for Godric, she didn't know how they had gotten separated.

"What are you doing here? These are not your lands." They were still circling her, it made it difficult to determine which of them was speaking. Rowena didn't realize they even spoke English. If she hadn't been so terrified she would have been fascinated.

"We come from the school by the lake-" She started but they quickly interrupted them.

"We know where you come from Lady Rowena Ravenclaw. You are known to many creatures here." One of them finally stepped forward and leaned in close to her face. He had to stoop down quite a bit to look her in the eye. She realized quickly that she shouldn't underestimate their intelligence. She could hear Godric's groans somewhere behind the trees and he turned his head, he had large ears like a horse but the rest of his face was that of a man's, though more hairy than a normal human man.

"I apologize, we did not mean to encroach on your lands. Please, my friend is hurt- and my students they're in danger in these woods. If you would be so kind as to help us, I would be indebted to you and your kin." He lifted himself up again to his full height turning to look at his comrades who took a good long look at her before nodding at each other.

"You are not like other witches Rowena Ravenclaw. We will help you. But these woods are not safe for you and your students. I would advise you not to stray this far away from your castle again." He held out a large hand to her and when she accepted it, she was pulled onto his back. She watched the others reach out to the children as they came down the trees and one of them lifted Godric over his back. He was unconscious and pale, blood was trickling down his arm.

"Hang on tightly Lady Ravenclaw, we centaurs ride faster then your mere horses." He wasn't wrong, they flew through the woods quickly, the centaurs rode hard and in a formation that she hardly understood as they avoided trees and low hanging branches. Other creatures must be too afraid of the stampeding danger that was their horde to even approach them. She realized they were quite powerful magical creatures, as secretive as they were they probably had untold abilities.

They reached the castle grounds so quickly it took her by surprise, and when they dismounted they were met by Helga and Salazar who both looked incredibly dishevelled. Helga's gown was torn at the bottom and Salazar's sleeves were slightly scorched.

"We ran into some nastiness in the woods, we thought we lost you." Salazar started.

"Centaurs! Merlin's beard I've never met a centaur!" Of course Helga was excited but she ran straight to the centaur that was carrying Godric.

"We ran into trouble of our own. Godric's hurt he needs your help Helga."

"Yes, I can see that. Thank you kindly sir for helping us." She smiled sweetly at the grey centaur who had carried him and was now lifting him off his back.

"No witch has ever called me sir." He smiled and patted her on the head as if she were a pet. Helga didn't seem to mind one bit. She merely smiled and held out her hand to him while levitating Godric with her wand.

"Helga Hufflepuff, pleased to meet you er-"

"Arsenio." He shook her hand and chuckled quite pleased with her behaviour towards him.

"And your name?"

"Enzo, Lady Ravenclaw." He bowed to her and she curtsied back to him. She'd quickly come to realize that they were a proud species, and equally intelligent and deserving of respect as humans. Helga was now pulling Godric into the castle and issuing orders to the students and Salazar as they went inside.

"Lady Ravenclaw, this is where I leave you. You are safe now. May I give you some advice."

"You may give it, but whether or not I heed it is another matter entirely." He smiled at her response.

"Your wit serves you well my lady, but you must take care. For a darkness grows within your circle. It is a darkness rooted in hatred and fear -if left unchecked- it will spread like a disease and discord will be your undoing."

"How can you know such things?" She questioned him, perhaps she shouldn't but it was in her nature and there was something about them that made her curious.

"We centaurs look to the stars to guide us. Our eyes see what even the wisest witches cannot. Goodbye Rowena Ravenclaw. And good luck. We will not meet again." He turned towards the rest of his clan and made a gesture before they all stormed off back into the woods again, leaving behind no evidence of their existence except for the hoofprints in the ground.

* * *

><p>"Completely irresponsible! You deliberately disobeyed one of the few rules at Hogwarts! If you had been captured you would've all been tortured before being burned at the stake!" They were all looking at the floor as he was scolding them, he kept his voice languid and cool but he was infuriated.<p>

"Professor, we did help Professor Ravenclaw and Gryffindor escape-"

"After they endangered their lives to come rescue you from witch hunters!" He glared at the Gryffindor student who had dared to open his mouth. "And to make matters worse you exposed us to the outside world, risking not just your lives but those of every student in this school." One of the girls, a Hufflepuff had stubborn tears running down her cheeks she made him think of Helga for only a moment before he hardened himself against it. He was too angry to be compassionate.

"Professor, we didn't mean to!" They spoke a bit louder when Helga walked into the room, she pursed her lips and looked at them sternly. The closest thing she ever did to a frown, as she placed her hands on her hips, she had Godric's blood on her apron.

"Do any of you understand the gravity of your actions?! You not only risked your own lives but the lives of every student residing in Hogwarts."

"Professor I-"

"I'm so incredibly disappointed in each and every one of you!" She breathed exasperated and emotional and the fight went out of each of them. "We built this school to keep you all safe and you go out looking for trouble the first chance you get!" She shook her head and moved in front of Salazar. "50 points will be taken from each of you. Don't you dare give me that look child, it won't help you. And you will all serve detention with Merwyn." They looked up at her, clearly afraid of what that meant, it wasn't a secret that they were afraid of Merwyn.

"Consider yourselves lucky. Detention is far better than being burned to death! Now off to bed with you, and you better not be late for class tomorrow if you know what's good for you!"

They scuttled off to their dormitories as Helga remained behind with her hands on her hips when they had disappeared up the staircase Salazar moved around her.

"How is Godric?" He asked her quietly without taking his eyes off the students who were filing out of the hall.

"He'll be alright, Rowena's looking after him."

"That's a scary thought." Salazar laughed but she sighed. "What is it?"

"Nothing, I'm only tired." It was the first time she'd ever lied to him, he realized. He didn't know whether or not he should call her out on it. He didn't know what she wanted from him. He never did and half the time he put his foot in his mouth because of it. He realized after a good moment of silence, when her hands moved from her hips and she crossed her arms. He reached out and touched her shoulder, trying to turn her around. She turned and leapt into a hug, surprising him the way she always managed to do. He could feel how upset she was at this whole thing, and he knew that she'd been worried about Godric and Rowena.

"What if something had happened to them Salazar? I don't think I could bear it."

"They're perfectly fine, Godric will bounce back it's only a scratch to him."

"No, not Godric, the children." She pulled away, her eyes close to tears she was shaking her head and he frowned in dismay.

"Those ingrateful little-" He stopped himself at her reaction but he was still furious with them. "They don't deserve your goodness." He finished with that instead, knowing it was the truth but it was only half of what he really felt. She gave him a tiny little smile as he pulled her back to him by the hips.

"You know something?"

"What?" He leaned his lips in closer to her ear as she tilted her head backwards for him. They knew each other so well, and yet they rarely had moments like these. They were hardly ever alone really, and he was too often distracted by his work to notice that she was trying to have a private moment with him.

"You're incredibly attractive when you're angry like that." She drew in a breath as he began kissing her neck.

"You would-" He didn't give her a chance to finish. He was kissing her soft lips, mesmerized by her touch and her warmth and his obsession with her. How he could be so utterly lost in someone so sweet and so kind, his polar opposite. She ran her fingers through his hair, messing it up and he didn't care. He didn't have a care in the world when he was with her like this. He forgot everything around him, everything that set them apart. This woman, he didn't usually like it when a woman looked him right in the eye; and this woman did it a lot. But when she did it, he didn't mind, recently he'd begun just looking back at her and letting her look for whatever it was she was searching for. Because sooner or later their little staring contest would turn into her smiling and there was just something about her smile that made everything worth while.

When they came to his rooms they were caught in a tangle of clothing and bedding until he lifted her to wrap her legs around him and they sat down on the bed. He would reach around and pull her tightly to him, wanting to feel her chest against his and her breath on his cheeks as he pushed her past a boundary no one but him knew she had. The burning feeling of her soft milky skin against his was something that he craved like nourishment and her touches were always well-placed. She had gotten to know him so well that she could pleasure him with her eyes closed and in complete darkness, their breath entangled and her gently pulling at his hair, or gripping his shoulders. He would allow himself to get lost in her, her scent and the softness of her skin, the golden curls on her head and the feeling of her eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. She would nip at his collarbone when it became just nearly too much and then she would whimper and cry out his name as she clenched tightly around him. Pulling him into her, making him loose himself in her.

* * *

><p>She was reading quietly, so intently that she hadn't even noticed him opening his eyes. Her dark eyes were cast on the pages, taking in each word. Her long black hair was falling down her shoulders, it had been pulled out of the careful intricate design usually held in place by silver or bronze pins. She had pulled her legs up onto the seat and was using her thighs as support for her book, he glanced her toes peeking out from the bottom of her dress. She had shed her shoes somewhere on the ground.<p>

"It can't possibly be?" He decided on a witty remark, it was the only thing that would really satisfy her of his health. She tore her eyes from her book, and the look he received from her wasn't what he'd been expecting. He'd thought to receive that clever disinterest, or even a glare but instead her eyes were wide and she drew in a breath that she held as she looked him over. "Rowena Ravenclaw at my bedside. And worried at that." She frowned then, putting her book aside without even marking the page she moved over to him, shaking her head.

"It's not funny Godric." He moved to sit up, feeling a slight pain in his back but not nearly as bad as it had been before. Helga was a brilliant little witch really. "You and your bloody courage, why do you always have to play the hero?!" He frowned at her, tilting his head and trying to determine what she was really upset about. This was not the witty banter he had been expecting from her.

"You really were worried weren't you?" He was surprised, Rowena didn't get worried. She was too rational for that, she hardly ever showed an emotion outside curiosity or amusement. "Ro-"

"Godric that blade-"

"Would have killed you." He said the words very carefully, it had been aimed at her heart. "My back will heal, your heart wouldn't have."

"You could've-" She didn't know what to say, as if she was afraid to finish the sentence. Rowena Ravenclaw lost for words he didn't think he'd ever see the day. He could've been a bastard, been smug and made her regret ever caring. A wiser man would have done so, because in reality Rowena was unattainable. Most especially to him.

"But I didn't." He smiled at her gently and reached out, placing her cheek in the palm of his hand. It surprised him when she closed her eyes and placed her hand over his leaning into his touch.

"You still frightened me." She admitted quietly as if she hadn't meant to say the words out loud.

"So did you." It was an admission he didn't make. Fear was not something he gave into, not something he ever admitted feeling to anyone. But she had never made herself so vulnerable to him voluntarily, he felt he had to reciprocate. She looked puzzled again.

"The great Godric Gryffindor afraid?" She shook her head.

"I was afraid I'd lost you- again." He grumbled quietlyand shook his head, he took her hand in his absentmindedly.

"You're mad Gryffindor." She shook her head and cast her eyes downward, looking at their interlinked hands.

"No doubt. But Hogwarts needs you Ro."

"And what about you?"

"No one needs me. I'm just a brave fool." he chuckled, repeating her own description of him back to her. She stood quietly, picked up her book, not saying anything. Her pondering face was firmly in place, Godric always wondered what she was thinking when she looked like that. She was so stern and careful about everything that it amazed him. He couldn't live life like that. He was the type to just blurt things out without thinking. Honest and brave. A fool in her eyes. She moved to the door, and he thought that would be then end of it but then she turned around quietly looking him over once more. Her dark eyes locking with his before she gave him a tiny smile, the softness in her look was something that he had almost forgotten.

"_I_ need you Godric."

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHRISTMAS<strong>_

"Godric wake up!" Helga shook him excitedly, she was already giggling. He was never going to believe all the work she did. She couldn't help it. She loved christmas. It was a time filled with magic and wonder. Warmth and light filled the halls now, she had been up all night, but she couldn't contain herself. She couldn't wait to show someone and in her childish giddiness the only one who would appreciate it as much as she did was Godric.

"Helga, go back to sleep." He gave her a little shove and she slipped off his bed, landing on the rug by the side of his bed.

"I can't!" She stood back up again. And leaned over his giant form, he had huddled under the thick furs of his bed to hide from the cold and the chirpiness of her. She giggled thinking of something that would undoubtedly wake him up. "Come on Godric, I have a surprise for you." She cooed, when he was eleven it would have gotten him jumping out of bed because he knew she was going to show him where the garden gnomes were hiding or something similar. He pulled the furs down and raised one eyebrow at her, his red hair was messy and wild, just like him.

"Oh all right." She got up off his bed and started to bounce up and down. The excitement in her couldn't be contained. "All right, all right, hang on to your pygmy-puffs. I'm up. I'm up."

Once he was up and had thrown on a robe she pulled him through the halls, they were running through the halls barefoot the way they would have when they were children. They were running past the library when Helga suddenly heard footsteps behind her, she turned her head to see Rowena sticking her head out from behind a corner.

"Where are you two running off to?"

"Follow me and you'll find out!" She called back, as quietly as she could, she didn't want to wake any of the students. To her surprise she realized quickly that Rowena was following right behind them, curiosity usually managed to get the better of her.

They ran past the great hall and Godric and Rowena both stopped, staring, the lights from all the candles was glowing on their faces as if they were seated in front of a great fireplace.

"Merlin's beard Helga! Did you do all this?" Rowena breathed softly and a broad smile appeared across her face. Helga's heart lifted at the sight of her old friend smiling so sincerely. The last few months had been difficult to say the least. She had hoped that Rowena's solution to create different houses would have dissipated the struggle between Godric and Salazar but it seemed only to amplify things. Nearly every decision turned into a power struggle between them, and she was so tired of it. And Rowena had been so sad.

Helga couldn't imagine what was going through her, but what made things worse was that Rowena wasn't talking about it. Whatever she was feeling was kept completely secret, as if talking about it would make her seem weak. And now here she was, smiling, her eyes glittering with the lights of the Great Hall.

"Wait until you see it with food scattered across the tables. The elves are busy making roast, and potatoes, and I've made syllabub." She said excitedly but then moved to grab Rowena's wrist. "But that's not what I wanted to show you! Come on!" Rowena laughed, the happiness genuinely settled in on her, Helga wondered if she even realized that her joy was spreading and could be read in her eyes. It wasn't just a painted on gesture this time.

She pulled them both outside, not too far because it was cold and the ground was frozen, but she pulled them just out onto the courtyard, where they stayed underneath the stone arches. The fountain and statues were covered in a thick layer of glistening snow.

"Helga what the bloody-"

"Shush! Put these on." She whispered and gave them both some odd looking spectacles. She'd confiscated them from some students earlier in the day because they hadn't been paying attention in herbology, she reminded herself to give them back in the morning because in reality they were quite a brilliant invention. She smiled proudly at how her students were constantly underestimated and yet they were likely bright enough to surprise even Rowena.

* * *

><p>Rowena perched the spectacles on the top of her nose, expecting there to be either nothing, or some sort of illusion but instead she found that she was seeing small specks of white light, floating in mid-air.<p>

"Fascinating." She murmured, removing the spectacles and putting them back on to be sure that it wasn't just the strange colour of the lenses, but they were just coloured glass. Something about their combination and probably a revealing charm allowed them to see what was supposed to be invisible.

"One of my students was calling them nargles. Apparently they live in mistletoe clusters, which is why they're here now." Helga stated and giggled. "Aren't they pretty?"

"Nargles? What nonsense." Godric shook his head and removed the spectacles to examine them. Rowena laughed at his disbelief.

"I'm surprised you didn't just go chasing after one Godric."

"Despite popular belief, Gryffindors do not go chasing after sparkly objects." He stood up straighter and frowned at the insult making Rowena laugh.

"I think they're wisps actually." Helga chirped and turned to look at them, the pink and blue lenses making her look quite ridiculous.

"I think you're correct Helga."

"Oh a wisp! Come on girls let's get out of this freezing cold, before we see a dancing claurichorn!" Godric began to move to the entrance back to the castle and one of the whisps began to float down towards her.

"Don't mock the wisps Gryffindor. In Scotland they say that the will o' the wisp will lead you to your fate." A smaller wisp landed on her sleeve, bouncing delicately against the fabric while another came down and touched her nose, it glowed more brightly for a moment and then left again, she found it extraordinary that all she felt was a cold nip at her nose, as if the wind had picked up. A sudden giddiness crept up on her and she turned to look at Helga who already had her hands full of snow as she began rolling it into a ball. Rowena reached for a pack of snow that was on one of the many stone ledges and did the same. She didn't know where this sudden playfulness had come from, perhaps it was the wisps, it could have just been the fresh snow or the fact that they were so close to christmas. Her and Helga both took aim and threw their snowballs, she hit Godric in the back of the head while Helga's crumbled all over his shoulders. Some snow had undoubtedly crept down his neck.

He turned around, his green eyes bright and shocked as Helga pointed at Rowena and they both ran.

* * *

><p>"You're in trouble now!" He reached down, his hands were so much larger than theirs, the snowball he was making looked like the size of her head as she ran hiding past pillars and arches trying to hide from his perfect aim.<p>

They both squealed in delight and shock as snow went flying all over the place, Helga ended up covered in a layer of snow while Rowena was still running trying to duck away from him when he finally caught her up in his arms and dumped her in a snowbank that came up to her thighs. When she tried to get up she ended up laughing hysterically because she couldn't quite wade through the snow and keep her balance at the same time. Helga came round the corner and burst into a fit of giggles, they were both flushed red from the cold and Helga was starting to shiver so Godric reached out and pulled Rowena from her predicament. She stumbled and laughed, reaching for Helga.

"Helga your hair!"

"Your dress!" She answered when she looked down she could see that a powdery layer of snow was clinging to her gown. Clinging to all of them really, it was in their hair and on their clothes, both their cheeks were flushed red. "Can you imagine what the abbess would have said?!"

"A lady does not run!" Rowena put on a strange voice and a Welsh accent that he'd never heard before, it surprised him and amused him. This was a side to her he'd never seen before. Light hearted and full of witty humour.

"A lady does not go barefoot!"

"A lady doesn't chortle." They both doubled over laughing, arm in arm walking back to the castle, their gowns were wet their hair was frizzy, and neither of them seemed to care.

They walked into the castle and snuck down into the dungeons that lead to the kitchens, quietly whispering and giggling still as they went to sit next to the large hearth where something was always boiling. The kitchen smelled sweet and full of food, it was making Godric's mouth water.

Salazar eventually moved past the kitchen and stuck his head inside when he saw them all sitting together, giggling quietly and laughing.

"Oh Salazar, won't you join us?" Helga piped up, still in good humour from their snowfight but the calculating look Salazar returned nearly made Godric cringe.

* * *

><p>He looked from Helga's pleasant face, to Godric's who seemed to be curiously waiting to see what Salazar's answer would be. As if his next decision would simply add to the list of things to hold against him. He scowled at the impression his so called friend was giving off before he caught a glimpse of Rowena.<p>

She looked at him for a moment, head held high, shoulders back, her gaze was inquisitive as always but instead of waiting for his answer she simply stood up and walked over to him.

"For heaven's sake Salazar, come in and sit down. Stop being so bloody serious all the time." She pulled him into the room by his elbow and sat him down between Helga and Godric. He felt for a moment as if every fibre of his being was tearing him apart. There had been a time when this had been effortless between them. When they could sit and have a conversation without gritting their teeth about all the things they wanted to spit out at each other.

"I was thinking we should invite some of our families up for the Christmas Feast." Helga uttered happily, Salazar remained quiet on the subject. He didn't know of any family worth inviting to Hogwarts. He resented the idea.

"You're mad."

"I understand why Salazar and I might object. We have no family worth inviting to a Christmas feast, but I thought your kin were all wizards."

"Precisely." Godric grumbled cradling his head in his hands. Helga giggled and Rowena raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

"Oh come on, Godric. Your family's lovely!"

"Lovely? Is that how you describe a bunch of loud mouthed, no-good fomenters!"

"Hah, so they're exactly like you then?" Salazar quipped, receiving a giggle from Rowena and a nudge in the ribs from Helga.

"He has a point Godric. Besides, I'm sure you're exaggerating." Rowena smiled softly.

"You've never met my family." Another giggle, this time from Helga.

"Surely they can't cause any more mayhem than you and your Gryffindors already do." This time Godric laughed, a big booming laugh that echoed off the walls.

"Alright then, invite them." He nodded at Helga before turning his eyes to Rowena and smirking mischievously. "But don't say I didn't warn you." He chuckled and took one final gulp from his goblet before turning to leave. Still chuckling and laughing to himself as he turned the corner.

"Just what we needed. More Gryffindors." Salazar grumbled and Helga nudged him the ribs again, harder this time.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AUTHOR'S NOTE: <em>**_theehee... so Canada is still covered in a blanket of snow, I almost can't remember what the sun looks or feels like since we've had a near constant cover of clouds since I think November, or at least that's what it feels like... I WANT SUMMER TO COME BACK... but anyway, because of all the snow, I'm kind of writing a delayed Christmas Special of the Founders I suppose. Don't worry, I will still include all the good old fashioned Founders drama but it will be dressed in christmas spirit and good tidings... lol_

_Also, what's a good HP fanfic without a christmas scene? AAAAAND... I get to make up characters for Godric's family! WOOOOT! I know that J.K. Rowling never described him as having a family perse but that doesn't mean that I can make stuff up... this is a fanfic after all :)_

_God I'm waaaaay too hyper, and sleep deprived. I'll leave you all alone now. Untill the next chapter..._

_Thank you for reading the founders, we hope you enjoyed this chapter... bye,_

_bye bye now_

_toodles!_

_Peace and Love!_

_Kvanhee._


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